Amethyst In The Night
by Raaon Teisha
Summary: Zuko meets two strange people when the ship docks to restock. Will these mysterious mistresses give him the help he needs to reach his dreams? Or will they turn him against the fire nation and cause him to join their side? ZukoOc SokkaOc Kataang
1. New on the Crew

I am a new writer, and this is my first fic, so don't kill me if it's bad!If there is anything that you think needs to be pointed out, let me know. R&R y'all!

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_**Amethyst In the Night**_

Chapter I: New on the Crew

It had been almost two weeks since Zuko last saw that appalling sight of the Avatar and his monstrous bison, accompanied by the water tribe peasants and that stupid flying lemur. Running low on supplies, Iroh insisted upon stopping at Shiroh Nagiyan to gather supplies. And besides, upon coincidence, the avatar might be there.

Three hours later, once they docked, Zuko noticed a group of people shouting random insults, but paid it no attention. Iroh stopped at many curio stands, just browsing, and came upon a cute little teaset, which he decided to throw into the pile of stuff he bought. Zuko, thoroughly irritated by his uncle's behaviour, decided to wander off and 'get himself lost in the crowd'. Though he didn't notice it, he was walking in the direction of the group he saw earlier. He walked up to one of the people surrounding the circle and asked what all the commotion was about.

"We're planning a way to get back at those dastardly thieves that keep plaguing our dock! Numerous times, they've gotten away from the guards that protect our dock, and - " the old man broke off as he looked at Zuko. " - You! How dare you show your face here! You're a wanted man! And where's that little girl who's always in your shadow?" Zuko tried to turn and run, but the only way he could go was through the crowd and back to his uncle.

"Uncle!" Zuko yelled, panic in his voice.

"Zuko, what - " the retired firebender trailed off as he saw the massive mob of townsfolk on Zuko's heels. Zuko reached his uncle in just enough time to get surrounded, his uncle watching his back. Then Zuko noticed a 'Wanted' poster in one of the nearby store windows. The picture of the man of the two thieves did look like Zuko, but the girl, no one he had ever seen, until he looked closer. It was his sister, Zula. At that point, Zuko filled with hate for his sister, paying no attention to one of the men who launched a punch at him. It hit Zuko square in his gut, causing him to double over in pain. Then he heard a voice.

"STAY AWAY FROM THEM!" It was a girl's voice. He looked before him, then at the sky when he noticed everyone else do the same. Jumping off the roof of the store nearest the mob, Zuko saw six indistinguishable figures, each holding a staff that was pointed at both ends. They landed in a circle around the two men.

"These aren't the thieves. The boy's too old. And his company, the Dragon of the West. Why would he have General Iroh accompany him?" the girl in front of Zuko turned around and offered him a hand. "These people really didn't mean anything, though you do strike a good resemblance to one of the thieves. You okay?" There was nothing threatening in her voice, but her whole demeanor changed when a man came up to try and knock Zuko out. "Lay off the boy, Kaiku. He did nothing to you." She snarled as she returned her gaze back to Zuko, and held her hand out enthusiastically. Zuko took advantage of her offer and allowed her to help him up, still leaning forward in slight pain. Then, the man Kaiku yelled. "GET THEM ALL!" Zuko noted it was a futile attempt when all six girls, apparently the guards of the town, performed a skilled twirling maneuver with their staffs, shooting flames from not only their hands, but also the ends of their weapons. At once, the mob backed off to allow the flame to pass, but immediately continued the assault on the guards and strangers.

"Shaiya, your in our way! MOVE!" the old man yelled. The girl who helped Zuko up, apparently Shaiya was her name, took her staff and swung at the old man who, despite his age, ducked it gracefully and attempted to plant a knife in her throat. Zuko spun on his heels and tackled the man, knocking him cold for a few minutes while the onslaught continued. Another man, apparently in his early thirties, jumped at Zuko with a sword while Zuko dodged it, the sound of metal clanged as the sword hit Zuko's armor, announcing its failure to dislodge his arm from the rest of him. The girls, apparently tiring from the never-ending sea of attackers and the constant need to defend themselves, finally decided to quit sparing as many lives as possible and drew their daggers from sheaths hidden by the bottom hem of their pants. One man, the first to taste steel blade, launched at a blonde, who acted upon impulse and instinct and imbedded a huge gash in his right arm. He screamed in pain, and all fighting ceased for a silent second until the man Kaiku awoke, drew his own dagger and charged for Shaiya, yelling as many cuss words as he knew. Once he reached striking distance of Shaiya's dagger, he promptly fell to the ground, blood spewing from a deep gash in his neck that followed up to where the dagger was imbedded in his right temple. Shaiya looked very pissed.

"You messed with the wrong person for the last time, Kaiku." Shaiya turned to the onlookers who were struck with amazement that one of their beloved guardians had killed an elderly townsman. "ANYBODY who still wants to try me, come and meet your death." Shaiya yelled as she ripped her dagger from Kaiku's head and wiped it off on her own pants. The crowd began to disperse, in fear that if they lingered, they too would die. An eerie quiet set over the eight left. Iroh broke the glass-like silence.

"That was purely amazing to watch. Where did you girls learn to fight like that?"

Shaiya answered. "My father taught all six of us everything you just witnessed."

"I am impressed. Never have I seen anyone outside the fire lord's army fight with such vigorous motion and minor, yet deadly strikes. Magnificent!"

"My father used to be Fire Lord Ozai's right hand man, before an infection decided to end his time with us. Now, the jerk who took my spot, Zhao I think is his name, comes around to taunt me. God, I wish I could just cut his head off right in front of that moronic fire lord, and teach him who his right hand _woman_ should be, making him regret ever letting Zhao take that spot." Shaiya said, putting unnecessary, yet effective emphasis on the word 'woman'. "So, what brings the Dragon of the West and the Prince of the Fire Nation to Shiroh Nagiyan?"

"We're just restocking our supplies before continuing on our way," Zuko said apologetically, a tone his uncle didn't think he had. "Didn't mean to start anything."

"No, its okay, besides you gave me the perfect opportunity to kill that idiotic old fool. He always got in my way. And thanks for tackling him, it really helped me gather my defenses." Zuko blushed a light, unnoticeable shade of pink as Shaiya said those words. "Why don't you guys stay for a little while, just a couple of days. I'm sure all that time on the sea has left you a little weary. You can stay at my place if you want." Both Zuko and Iroh fell for Shaiya's immensely powerful flirt-persuasion technique, which she used every chance she could, and both men agreed to her invitation.

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That night at the Bleeding Pig pub, Shaiya and her crew managed to get slightly drunk, though their aim hadn't faltered when the bartender tossed a bunch of darts to them, urging them to see how drunk they were. A little wheel hung at the opposite end of the pub and Shaiya, followed one-by-one by her crew, managed to imbed the darts right in the center, leaving only one not split in half by the continuous thud of one slicing the previous in half around it. Then, unknown to Zuko and Iroh at the time, Shaiya's brother and two (male) cousins walked in, stood up on the bar, and began playing a few numerous instruments, of which the girls promptly got in a line and began to perform, Shaiya and the blonde who attacked one of the men in the earlier mobbing, were singing to the songs the boys played. It was then that Zuko noticed how good Shaiya looked. Fiery red hair that fell to her shoulders, soft lilac purple eyes that could turn to amethyst at any minute, though it usually happened when Shaiya was fighting. Her soft movements, accompanied by the rhythms her family brought, made her look like an angel from heaven, and all the drunks knew it. Many times that night, one or another would try to take her for his own, only to get slapped or gouged by her blade. When the pub closed later that night, Shaiya and her blonde friend, Onya, walked with the boys to Shaiya's place where Onya was staying until her parents returned from the war. Onya, too, looked good, with blonde hair down to her mid back, deep blue eyes that shone like the ocean, and equally as smooth movements as Shaiya. Together, both girls looked like perfection. The next day, nothing in particular happened. The townsfolk noticed that neither Zuko nor his uncle had stolen anything, and those that persecuted them for being thieves were constantly walking up to them apologizing. Iroh added more to his collection of interesting curios and Zuko talked with all the girls in Shaiya's group, of which they call themselves the Black Chaos Dragons. It was an effective choice for a name. Whenever there was any trouble on the dock, the townsfolk chose to yell 'Chaos Dragons! Black Chaos Dragons!' to hopefully ward off the thieves/troublemakers. No one managed to yell that when Zuko and Iroh were attacked because no one really paid attention to the rooftops where the group stood watch. Iroh and his nephew shared a room in Shaiya's house, which was huge, almost as big as the ship they sailed on. The first night there, Zuko didn't do much talking, but what else is new. The next night, after getting to know the girls, Shaiya and Onya mostly, when the four returned to Shaiya's house, and after a cup or two of tea, they all sat in front of a fire and talked.

"Zuko. Psst. Zuko" Iroh whispered in his ear as Shaiya and Onya were in a dead heat arm wrestling competition, both hissing cuss words to each other.

"What is it, uncle?"

"Invite them both on the ship with us."

"What?"

"You heard me, nephew, invite them both on the ship. They can help you capture the avatar. And they will make quite an impact on the crew."

"Fine. I don't know why I'm going to, but fine." Zuko ended his whisper-conversation with his uncle and Shaiya slammed Onya's hand to the table.

"I win again. Gimme the seven gold pieces." Shaiya claimed her victory prize from her friend, and Zuko decided now would probably be best. He even kind of agreed with his uncle for inviting the two on their ship.

"Hey, um girls. Got a question." Both girls looked at Zuko, curious as to what he might say. "Do you two want to come and…uh…join me, and my uncle?"

"Doing what, exactly?" Onya asked.

"You see, my nephew is hunting for the Avatar, and he was hoping that maybe you two would give him a hand, seeing as your both very skilled warriors, and know firebending like the back of your hand. Not to mention, we do have lots of fun, and I think you two would really enjoy it." Iroh broke in. He could tell his nephew would've had a tough time saying all that.

"Uh, we'd have to think about it first. But, don't get me wrong, sounds like fun." Shaiya answered first. "If you two wouldn't mind, we would need to talk about it with our crew, and if they didn't mind, we'd be more than happy to go. Do you have many run-ins with Zhao?"

"Every once in a while, but even that's too many. Why?" Zuko asked.

"I hate him, I hate his guts, I hate everything about him, and did you notice that he looks like a _monkey_ in the right light!" Everyone laughed at Shaiya's answer. The next day, Shaiya and Onya brought up the topic of interest with the rest of the Black Chaos Dragons, and the four remaining Dragons were okay with being deserted by their leaders and good friends. After packing all necessities, and buying anything else that would prove useful, everyone boarded Zuko's ship and they set off that afternoon. Unknown to Zuko, or any other crew member but Iroh, the girls snuck their sujios on the ship to accompany them with their travels and troubles.


	2. Encounter

**A/N:** I got a couple reviews that really helped me to revise this chapter a little.Thanks to **Blossom of Death **and **AirGirl Phantom** for those reviews!

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Chapter II: Encounter

It was late afternoon when Aang decided to put up camp at a nearby deserted island.

"It's only mid afternoon. Maybe we should get some more flying done before we camp out, Aang." Katara said.

"Come on, Katara. This is the only island for nearly two hundred miles. In any direction, might I add." That was typical of Sokka. Always argue, never listen to the voice of reason. Katara set up camp while Sokka and Aang went off scouting. About ten minutes after the two boys left, leaving Katara with only Momo to keep her company, she noticed a billowing tower of smoke rise from the horizon. That could only mean one thing - the Fire Nation had followed them. Once the ship was visible, her worst nightmare was realized. The ship belonged to Prince Zuko.

Seeing the tower of smoke above the trees, Sokka and Aang rushed back to the camp, Appa on their tail. They were too late. Zuko, his crew, uncle, and two mysterious girls, one a red head and the other blonde, had Katara tied to a tree and were interrogating her. Sokka could barely make out what they were saying, the need to keep in the shadows proved prominent. Then, without warning, the blonde girl smacked Katara's arm lightly, and lo and behold, Sokka had had enough. He charged.

Heading for the blonde, he screamed "GET AWAY FROM MY SISTER!" the girl easily threw him to the ground as she twisted her arm around, grabbing him along the stomach and flipping him. Aang had enough, too. He backed up and took to the air with his glider. He circled the camp, landing in front of Katara. He summoned a great big ball of air and threw it at the blonde, causing her to fall back, landing on her back. She immediately got up, though the look on her face told them all Aang had hurt her in the least. Seeing her very best friend struggle in pain, the red head shot a stream of fire in Aang's direction. He blocked it easily, sending a wave of water up in front of him. Getting frustrated by the constant blocking of her attacks, the red head drew her dagger and threw it at him, locking his arm against the tree mere inches away from Katara's own arm.

The red head walked up behind him, and as he tried to pull himself free, not noticing the red head walking toward him, he was struck in the back of his bald little head with a flaming punch that knocked him unconscious. She then pulled her dagger from the tree and chucked it, causing it to land a couple feet from Sokka.

"AANG!" Katara's shriek summoned some strength in her brother and, without anyone noticing, he got to his feet, grabbed the blonde around the neck, pressed his new found dagger against her throat and shouted "If you want her to stay alive, you'll let Aang and Katara go now!"

No one made a move.

"I said **now**!" and with that final scream, he, too, was knocked unconscious by the flaming fist of the red head. Finally, Zuko had the Avatar to himself. Now, his only task was to get him to his father. Needless to say, Zhao was close by, watching every moment.

"Well done, Prince Zuko. I never knew you had a persuasive ability with the ladies. It seems you do, much to my disdain. Pleased to meet you - Shaiya. So, we meet again. I see you've become better, slightly." Zhao hissed as he walked up to the prince. "Need I remind you of your manners, Prince Zuko." he said, grabbing Zuko by the collar of his uniform.

"Let him go, you piece of bottom-dwelling scum. You have no right to talk to him like that." Shaiya growled, sounding very much like her dog she left home.

Zhao merely looked at her, a trace of pure loathing in his misty brown eyes.

"I now have the position as the fire lord's right hand man, and even though, yes, you should've inherited it, you weren't around when the time came. So, I was given the position. I should've known you would team up with such a pathetic excuse for a firebender. You and your little blonde friend…I'm sorry, I don't believe I caught your name."

Onya looked at him, understanding her friend's constant badmouthing aimed toward him. "I never gave it." she said sourly. Though he had never met her before, he could tell she wasn't afraid of him, though she had every right to be. He tightened his grip on Zuko's collar.

"You know, I think I'll take the Avatar for myself, thanks." Zhao tossed Zuko back, causing him to hit the ground hard. Zhao walked over to the Avatar, picked him up, but barely got two feet before Katara hit him with a water whip she controlled with her mind.

"I'd rather Zuko capture Aang than you. She was right to call you a piece of bottom-dwelling scum. Put him down!" Katara called, following her water whip. Zhao dropped the avatar, walked over to Katara, and smacked her hard across the face, causing involuntary tears to well up in her eyes.

"If you smack her again…I'll make sure your scarred worse than I am." Zuko hissed behind him, breathing down his neck. Shaiya walked up, grabbed Zhao's jaw, and pulled him to look at her.

"And if he should fail, which I highly doubt, then I will." She let her grip on him fall and he looked at them, turned on his heels, stated that he would save the fighting for another day, and strode off to his ship, not far from where he emerged from the foliage.

"Why did you say that?" Katara asked, slightly confused.

"It goes against everything I believe in to hit a girl. He's such a bastard." Zuko replied. Onya untied Katara, keeping a good grip on her, Zuko grabbed the Avatar, and Shaiya helped Sokka up, now returning to consciousness. All paraded up to the ship, Katara putting up no struggle at all, and Appa following reluctantly, Momo in his saddle. The three were tossed into a cell, and the door locked.

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Zhao looked out to Zuko's ship, pure hate detectable in his eyes. _How did, no wait, why did I just let Zuko take the Avatar on his ship? That was the stupidest move I've ever made. And why did Prince Zuko stand up for that little water tribe peasant? She means nothing to him, unless he's got a crush on her. How cute, Zuko crushing on a waterbender. Filthy blood traitor, I should've killed him when I had the chance._ Zhao thought. Then Zhao remembered that it was against Zuko's nature to hit a girl. _How cute._ Zhao decided he would pay a surprise visit to Colonel Shinu and request he get nine other ships under his command. One little ship couldn't possibly stand against ten full-size Fire Navy ships, all equipped with numerous catapults and ten times as many soldiers. 

Zhao yelled up to the helmsman to head a course for Colonel Shinu's fortress.

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That night, later than usual, a loud boom emitted from the deck. Zuko, waking suddenly, rushed up to see what it was. Onya and Shaiya were holding down two monstrous beasts, trying to put saddles on them. Shaiya was holding a black-and-grey one while Onya held a red-and-white one. They looked like horses with three horns on their heads, one on their nose, one above each eye, and monstrous wings from their shoulders. The beasts were putting up a great struggle, but the girls didn't falter. Then, the two beasts reared, slammed their hooves down on the deck, and another huge boom rang out. Then, Shaiya tackled her horse-like animal and managed to get the saddle on and tightened it around the beast's middle. Onya did the same, and both girls swung not-so-gracefully onto their mounts, and noticed the whole crew staring at them. 

"Sorry, did we wake you guys? Uh…obviously. Sorry." Shaiya apologized to the whole crew and Onya nodded in agreement.

"What are those things your on?" Zuko asked.

Iroh answered. "Those, Prince Zuko, are sujios. Some of the most wild beasts in the world, but once they're tamed, they can prove more useful than komodo rhinos. They're stronger, faster, and more even-tempered than rhinos, too. It takes a very powerful person to tame one, and once tamed, that sujio will work with/for the person who tamed it." he directed his statement to Shaiya. "How on earth did you tame them?"

"It didn't take long, I just went out to the waterfall behind the dock one day, and saw these two standing there. I ran back to Onya, we grabbed everything we might need to tame them, and in a couple week's time, we managed to tame them, after suffering a few broken bones!" Shaiya hissed the last six words to her mount. Onya whispered something to Shaiya, both dismounted and walked up to Zuko and Iroh. "Care for a ride?" Onya asked. Iroh's face lit up, but Zuko retreated a step. The sujios began prancing.

"I don't think I'm ready to die, yet."

"Zuko, you won't die. Trust me." Shaiya assured him, and with that, Onya grabbed Iroh, Shaiya grabbed Zuko, and all four swung onto the sujios. Onya kicked her mount into a dead run, and she, Iroh, and her sujio took to the skies.

"Hold on, Zuko." Shaiya whispered and Zuko quickly wrapped his arms around her waist. Shaiya swiftly kicked her mount, yelling for her to take to the skies, and they jumped the railing of the ship and did just that.

"F.Y.I., you can let go if you want." Shaiya said, and Zuko snatched his arms from around her.

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**A/N:** So, how did you like it? I hope you all thought it was good.I'm making a hard attempt at keeping this from being a Mary Sue, so if there's anything you want to see, let me know. If there's anything you think needs taking care of, let me know. If there's anything at all you want to say, just let me know.My next update should be Jan. 12th, or somewhere around there, with school, enormous essays due, riding lessons, my dumb dog, and everything else wacky in my life, they will probably be scattered, but not too badly I hope! I'll try for one a week! Thanks again to my first two reveiwers! Chapter title suggestions are ALWAYS welcome, my method being _If I can't think of a title, I'll use a famous quote or quote from the chapter._ It's corny, but it works really well. 


	3. Why He Does What He Does

**A/N: **Okay, I managed to get chapter three up in record time, but I'm not too satisfied with it. Tell me what you guys think! Thanks!

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Chapter III: Why He Does What He Does

As Zuko and Shaiya flew through the sky, Onya yelled "HEY! SHAIYA! RACE YA BACK TO THE SHIP!" The wind was flying past their ears so fast that the yelling was barely able to be heard. Shaiya nodded in agreement to the challenge.

"Zuko, hang on! Onya just challenged me to another challenge she'll lose!" Shaiya yelled back to Zuko, and Zuko's arms slowly reached around her waist again. Shaiya gave her sujio a swift kick, and the three sped to a nearly immeasurable speed. About 200 mph. Weaving in and out of the waves that were crashing in mid-ocean, Onya was putting up a good fight, but Shaiya and her natural competitiveness wouldn't yield. Shaiya guided her sujio directly into a line of waves and sent them crashing and sloshing around them. Apparently challenged by her friend's move, Onya did the same maneuver, through more waves, however. The last wave was strongest, and sent Onya's sujio careening dangerously off course. No 'ground' was lost however.

The ship wasn't too far away now, and the race reached speeds of 225 mph. Iroh slipped slightly, and almost fell, if it wasn't for Onya's sujio turning sharply, causing Iroh to regain his seat. Onya at a speed of 224 and Shaiya behind, but gaining on them quickly, at a speed of 229, the race was almost over. Onya, intent on preventing her friend from beating her yet again, swerved at Shaiya, causing her to swerve as well. Onya landed safely, Shaiya following closely behind.

"Wow. I didn't think you would actually beat me. Well, Kagouya," Shaiya turned from her friend to her mount, "Vei has finally won. Don't take it too roughly. We'll beat them again." Zuko dismounted, followed by Shaiya, and Iroh followed by Onya. All six were completely soaked to the bone, and to add insult to injury, Vei and Kagouya shook violently, spraying the four benders with a mist of water. Just what they needed.

"You idiots! We're already wet and cold enough as it is!" Onya yelled kindly at the beasts. Both girls took their mounts back down to the livestock hold and attempted to towel them off in the least. Didn't work out too well.

Zuko and his uncle headed to their shower rooms to dry off before breakfast. After changing, Zuko headed out to the deck to check his telescope. Nothing. He headed back down to the galley to fill his now painfully empty stomach. The girls hadn't made it back yet, but Iroh was sitting down… drinking some ginseng tea nonetheless. Zuko sat down at his end of the table as four plates of cinnamon rolls and biscuits were brought out. Zuko filled his cup and raised it to his lips when Shaiya came in, still wet, but in dryer clothes.

"Where's Onya?" Iroh questioned.

"Attempting to dry off as best as she can. She'll be down in a sec." Shaiya sat down nearer Zuko, filled her own cup, and drank deeply. All sat in silence until Onya came in. She sat down, shivering, still in her wet clothes.

"What happened to 'Oh, I'm just gonna go up and try to dry off. I'll be down in a sec.'?" Shaiya asked.

"Oh, shut up." Shaiya glared at her. "Okay, I f-figured I'd try to sit on Vei bareb-back. Happy?"

"Yes, very. She almost killed you, didn't she?"

"I s-said ssssshut up."

"Which tells me she almost killed you." Onya didn't have a comeback to this final comment. She just nodded. Shaiya donned a smile, which revealed she knew Onya's plan the whole time. All ate in reserved silence.

About three weeks later, after the Avatar attempted to escape, and almost got himself killed in doing so, Iroh and Zuko were seated in the galley finishing lunch while the girls were out flying around to the south.

"Sir! The Avatar has awakened!" Lt. Jee burst in. Zuko jumped, almost dumping his tea. Calmly, he walked out of the galley to go talk to him. As he reached the doctor's room, he could hear the faint voice of the Avatar, the punch that took him out was, after all, very powerful. He could also distinguish the water tribe girl's soothing voice. _Wow, she must care for that little**…** person. It's almost so cute it's sickening._ Zuko's train of thought ended as he opened the door.

"Oh, look, it's _Prince Zuko._ Should I run, or just hide my sister's eyes?" Sokka greeted him angrily.

"Yeah, nice to see you, too. Not that I can say it ever was." Zuko was about to continue when Lt. Jee burst in, again.

"Sir, Admiral Zhao's ship has just been spotted about 30 knots away. What should we do?"

Zuko answered, worry in his voice. "First, we need to determine whether or not he's seen us. Then, we should probably…uh…go ask my uncle what he would do. I'm busy at the moment."

"Yessir. Right away sir." Jee left the room in a hurry, pushing the doctor out of his way as he did so. All three kids looked at Zuko, dumbfounded.

"I thought the great Prince Zuko was never at a loss for words." Katara said sarcastically.

"Very funny." Zuko sat down as he said those words. "So, why are you aiming to learn the rest of the elements in such a hurry anyway?"

"If Aang wants to end this war, he needs to defeat _your _father by summer's end, before Sozin's comet arrives. Why do you want to know?" Katara answered.

"Curiosity always gets the best of the cat, doesn't it?" Zuko faintly joked, something he still needed to work on. "So, how old are you anyway, Avatar?"

"First off, I have a name, and it's Aang. Second, why should I tell you, and third, oh well, it wouldn't hurt to tell you. I'm 112. I was frozen in an iceberg for 100 of those years. Barely mastered airbending, not that I'll have a chance to finish." Aang tried to sit up, but dizziness caught him half way up, and he had to lie down again.

"How far are you in your studies?"

"I have 'mastered' airbending, and am still learning waterbending from Katara," Aang pointed at Katara lazily, "I still need to learn Earthbending and firebending, although I'm sure you won't let me."

"Where were you headed?"

"Omashu. King Bumi was hopefully going to teach him to earthbend." Katara answered this time. The conversation began to get a little uncomfortable for her. "Why are you after Aang?"

"So I can restore my honor and my throne. Why else would I be after such pointless game?" Zuko whispered.

"Oh, I dunno, for the pleasure of tormenting a young boy and his best friends!" Sokka butt in.

"Okay, listen up. If I had a choice, I would be back home in the Fire Nation palace with my family. Playing Pai Sho with my uncle, kicking my sister's butt at Agni Kai's, and trying to prove myself as not being a total waste of space in my father's eyes."

"Your father sounds like a jerk. Why would you try to prove yourself to him if he doesn't even see you as fit to take the throne? I sure wouldn't." Sokka and Zuko were trading glares of pure loathing.

"He is, but he makes all the decisions, and until I'm Fire Lord, I can't do jack about it."

"Why don't you just rebel? Seems like a lot better use of your time than what your doing _now_." Sokka's voice cracked a bit, and Zuko merely glanced at the door.

"I'd be sentenced to death if I did rebel. We had a rebellion three years ago, and not one of the rebels survived. I don't want to die at the hands of my father." Zuko ended his sentence as Lt. Jee burst in yet again.

"Sir, Admiral Zhao is pulling his ships up beside ours. You should report to the deck."

"What do you mean by 'ships'?"

"The admiral has ten total ships under his command at the moment."

"I'll be up in a moment." Jee whisked away with a final "Yessir." and Zuko made to leave before Sokka caught him, forcing him to sit down.

"Why would your father even kill you?" he asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"My father was the one who banished and scarred me, why wouldn't his heart be cold, rocky enough to kill his only son, who's always been a step behind, always been struggling to keep up, always getting in his way? I've never been as good as my sister, the little firebending prodigy. She was _daddy's little girl_, and probably still is. But I've had to struggle, to fight to survive, and that's given me something not even the greatest amount of money can buy - experience. I need to go." As Zuko left the room, the three kids traded glances of total astonishment and Sokka began to wish he hadn't asked.

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**A/N:** So, what did you think?It seems to me that Zuko was a little out of character, and I'll try to fix that. I was just in a hurry to post my third chapter that I kinda might've went too fast.I'll try retyping it in my spare time, but for now, you get an idea of how things are going for our heroes. I think I might toss Onya in this chapter some more. More than she already is. Voice your opinions, please! This will probably be one of my shorter chapters, since I'm used to writing all I can when I can.Read On! And chances are, my next update will be Jan. 12th or later (or sooner, I hope!). R&R y'all! 


	4. Trouble With Zhao

**A/N: **Just wanted to let you guys know that I got chapter four up in record time! I absolutely love the computer, and my mother threatened to ground me off it, so I just had to get this chapter written. If your not accustomed to violence, the last fewparagraphs may not be for you. There's also a bit of profanity (one word) in here, so beware. Depending on how many reviews I get (from different people), I may or may not continue this story, so those of you who like it, REVIEW! I am getting tired of checking my reviews and, sinced I posted this, only three reviews have come in, two from the same reviewer. So, I am again gonna thank you two! Thanks AirGirl Phantom and Blossom of Death! Also, check out my profile! It's really hilarious! Read and Reveiw Y'all!

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Chapter IV: Trouble with Zhao

Zuko walked out onto the deck of his ship. He looked stunned when he saw Zhao talking to Iroh, accompanied by at least ten other soldiers. He looked at Zhao's ships and noticed a figure swipe by one window, but pushed the notion aside.

"Why are you here?" Zuko asked as he walked up to Zhao. Zhao turned his attention from Iroh to Zuko.

"Prince Zuko, need I remind you of your manners?" Zhao asked flatly.

"You didn't answer my question."

"I would like to talk to you about the Avatar. You have two choices. Show me to your galley, or we'll talk on my ship."

Zuko nodded and led the way to his galley, followed by Zhao, his uncle, and the ten or so soldiers that followed Zhao. No sooner had they reached the galley when Zuko turned to his uncle, whispered something to him, and left, pushing a couple of Zhao's soldiers out of his way.

"What was that about?" Zhao asked.

"Prince Zuko needs to take care of something. He'll be right back." Iroh answered. Both sat down, and the cook brought out a tray of tea and two cups.

* * *

Zuko walked up to the infirmary and knocked. A faint "Come in" came from the other side, and Zuko thrust the door open, knocking Sokka out of his chair. 

"What is going on, and what bug got up your butt this time?" Sokka asked, rubbing his backside.

"No time, Zhao's on my ship. If you don't want to get separated or captured by him, you don't by the way, you'll follow me." Zuko rushed through his explanation, and Sokka looked up at Aang and Katara. Without a word, Sokka got up, walked to Aang's bedside and helped him up, holding him up by his left arm, Katara at his right.

Katara whispered, "Well, lets go", and the trio followed Zuko to the other end of the ship. Zuko pulled out a ring of keys, flipped four or five, and finally stuck one in the key socket. He pushed the door open, and motioned for the trio to enter.

"I'll come back once Zhao leaves. Don't let anyone in. There's an escape hatch under the rug that will lead you to the room below, nowhere else. If you do get interrupted, head down there. I'm the only one with a set of keys to all the rooms, and there's only one key to this room. You'll be safer here than the infirmary. Like I said, I'll be back when Zhao leaves." Zuko finished his warning and returned to the galley.

As Zuko entered, all eyes returned to him.

"Prince Zuko, what kept you?" Zhao asked quizzically. Zuko merely looked at him, his hands beginning to warm. He could feel Zhao's cold brown eyes searching every aspect of him, trying to get even the slightest hint about where he was. Then one of Zhao's soldiers walked in, whispered something in his ear, Zhao nodded, and he then walked out of the galley.

"I'm so sorry, it seems I just had a change of plans. We must make this as quick as possible. The Fire Lord, your father, has instructed me to find the Avatar at all costs. That means taking you out of the picture." Zuko looked stunned. Zhao continued.

"I intend on permanently docking your ship until the Avatar is in chains in the Fire Nation. Then, you will be set free to roam the ocean in your defeated, pitied little wasteful life your going to have. See you around." Zhao finished and left the room. Zuko sat there, not even flinching when his uncle slapped him across the face.

"ZUKO! WHERE DID YOU SEND THE …" he trailed off. "the avatar?" he finished in a hushed whisper.

"The room I keep all my extra stuff in, the one with the escape hatch in the floor under the rug, the one I have the only key to." Zuko replied in the same hushed whisper. He quickly left the room to make sure the trio hadn't been found.

* * *

Aang and Sokka were sitting on the bed, just talking about nonsense really, Katara looking down at the unusual rug on the floor when the knob began to glow and melt away. Katara looked up, shocked that someone was trying to melt the doorknob, and then it hit her. Zhao was on the ship. 

She threw the rug away from the hatch and opened it just quick enough to grab Aang and Sokka, stuff them in, hush their protests, shut the hatch, and hide it again. Zhao threw the door open just as she ducked behind the bed into the shadows, summoning some water from the nearby bowl to her side.

"I know your in here, Avatar. You and your little water tribe peasant friends." Zhao threw the mattress against the wall.

"You can't hide from me forever!" Zhao threw the tables against the door. Then he walked over to Katara's corner.

"I see you." Katara stood up and threw the water whip she readied at him, knocking him back a couple steps.

"How dare you! That'll be the last time you ever waterbend!" Zhao yelled, he grabbed her wrists and wrenched them in a way that they weren't made to go. Katara screamed in pain, tears welling up in her eyes when Zuko, Shaiya, and Onya all slid into the end of the hallway.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Zuko yelled, shooting a stream of fire at him. He threw Katara in front of him, using her as a shield. Zuko quickly halted the blast.

"If you want me dead, you'll have to kill her, too." Zhao said seethingly. He wrenched Katara around to face his attackers and they noticed her wrists were bloody and bent in a manner not usual to the particular joint. She was crying silently. Zuko was the only one to notice a ripple in the carpet, meaning the Avatar and the other boy were down there.

"Let her go, you bastard." Shaiya hissed. Zuko looked at her, unaccustomed to her cussing.

"Now, now Shaiya my dear, don't talk like a sailor. You aren't one, and your father would be unhappy to know you are becoming one." Zhao hissed in reply. He tightened his grip on Katara's broken, bloody wrists, forcing a girlish grunt and whimper from her terrified, teary face. Tired of his prey not doing anything, Zhao whipped her around and looked at her again.

"Let's have some fun shall we?" Zhao put a death grip on her wrists, forcing blood to spurt out from between his fingers and her to begin sobbing, Zuko lunged. Shaiya and Onya backed him up. Zhao, realizing he couldn't keep Katara between himself and three attackers, backed up to the wall. The trio began their onslaught as soon as Zhao made his move.

It would've been smarter for him to have moved into a corner. The moment he would turn Katara in one direction, two jets of fire would fly at him, and he would move her only in one direction, causing one to go out and another to ignite. Realizing his defeat, Zhao released her, pushed passed Zuko and Shaiya, and fled. Instinctively, the two girls rushed to Katara's side and tried to help her while Zuko lifted the rug and opened the hatch.

"You can come out now. She might like some more familiar faces to comfort her." Zuko said, giving each boy a hand out of the pitch black room and motioning towards the three girls kneeling in a spattered pool of blood.

* * *

Once in the infirmary, Katara's wrists were cleaned, bandaged, and her bones reset before the doctor put them in casts to let them repair themselves. Katara was leaning on her brother. 

"Thanks for the help you three." Katara managed between slowly ceasing sobs. Zuko nodded, Shaiya smiled, and Onya merely said "Anytime". Iroh brought in a cup of jasmine tea for Katara's nerves and gingerly handed it to her, careful not to bump her hands too much as he did so. Aang was sitting in a chair in the corner trying to come up with a way (or two) to get back at Zhao. Finally Zuko broke the deafening silence that had smothered the room.

"Zhao is such a bastard. The next time I see him, I'll kill him. It may be against my nature to hurt a girl, but I have no qualms about killing him mercilessly." Everyone stared at Zuko, who was in turn staring at the ground. He hated that man, if that's what you'd call him, more than his own father. He hated Zhao more than the man who had scarred him for life, stripped him of his honor, and banished him from his home. He hated that man for one reason . . . He severely injured a defenseless 14-year-old water tribe girl. She's 14 and he is in his late 30's, early 40's. He would pay.

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**A/N:** I think this mught just have been my shortest chapter. How sad. I can't believe I wrote a short chapter. Besides, there wasn't much more to put in this chapter. There will be lots of action in the next chapter, and that's all I'm gonna say! Wait and see, and while you're waiting, R&R y'all! 


	5. Katara's Kidnapping

**A/N: **Hey y'all! So sorry I couln't update sooner. I got grounded off the computer, and technically, I still am, but the AKC/Eukanuba Tournament of Champions was on, so my mom decided that I could get on **if**, and only if, I would enter her vote for fave dog in each of the seven classes.I stayed up later than I was allowed, but my dad is very lenient.Not as much action as I anticipated, but I think I did a pretty good job on this chapter. P.S. It has no name, so let me know if you have a name that would work out.

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Chapter V: (no name)

It had been three weeks since the incident with Zhao and Katara's wrists were healing well. Repeatedly, Zuko checked his telescope, and yet, nothing in sight. Iroh was playing Pai Sho with Aang, and Sokka was always hanging with Onya. Shaiya was keeping herself busy doing numerous things.

Later that day, after Iroh's first loss to Aang, and at Pai Sho, he decided to let everyone know that that night was Music Night. Aang jumped at the chance to make a complete fool of himself, Sokka's eyes lit up, and Katara seemed to get happier. Zuko was, again, going to avoid it, and Shaiya and Onya were going to do some singing and dancing.

Zuko was in his room meditating when his uncle knocked on the door.

"Come in." he said coolly.

"Prince Zuko, you are going to be the only one not at Music Night again. Are you sure you don't want to come?"

"Yes, uncle, I'm sure. I am just going to meditate all evening." As Zuko finished his statement, the ship lurched, knocking Iroh to the ground and the candles Zuko was using to meditate in his lap, dropping hot wax on him.

"What the hell was that?" Zuko yelled. He knew it wasn't the Avatar's bison, because he wasn't big enough to cause that big a lurch on the ship, even though he was ten tons. It had happened once before, a year ago when Zhao rammed his ship into Zuko's, damaging it. It then donned on him. Zhao had yelled he would be back for the Avatar with backup. Zuko quickly threw his shirt on and rushed to the deck.

He made it just in time to see Zhao drag Katara onto his ship. He rushed at him, but didn't make it far. He remembered seeing a shadow pass one window on Zhao's ship, and then he felt a searing pain on the left side of his chest. He stayed conscious long enough to hear a girl's scream, and then he blacked out and fell to the floor.

* * *

Zuko awoke to five familiar faces around him. Iroh at the door with tea, Aang sitting in the corner examining something, Sokka sitting at the foot of the bed, Onya leaning on him, and Shaiya above him. Evidently, his head was in her lap and she was cleaning his wound. 

"Sh - Shaiya?" he mumbled.

"Yeah, its me. You feeling any better?" she replied, setting the damp rag down in a bowl and shifting to help him sit up.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Well, Zhao came, for Katara apparently, and when she noticed him coming off the ship, she tried to do some seriously advanced waterbending move, but she didn't get too far. Her wrists still haven't healed yet, and Zhao knew it. He walked right up to her, grabbed her wrists, and drug her onto his ship. You made it out before I did, and Zhao had one of his YuuYan archers shoot you. He mustn't have wanted you dead. The arrow hit you directly between your left lung and heart. God, your lucky. Half a millimeter in any direction and you would've died. You should be okay now."

"Where's the girl? Did you get her?" he mumbled.

"No, we didn't have too clear a shot at Zhao. Sorry."

"Don't be." Zuko noticed Aang, still sitting in the corner, wipe his cheeks. Zuko knew why. That little boy was crushing on Katara, and Zuko agreed she was pretty, but he definitely thought Shaiya was better looking than her. Zuko attempted to get up, but dizziness overthrew him, and he fell into Shaiya's arms. He groaned, and Shaiya pushed him up, keeping a firm grip on his shoulders. He never noticed before, but she was just as tall, and strong, as he was.

"You bent and intent on going somewhere?" she asked.

"Just want to stretch my legs. Do you have to question everything I do?" he retorted.

"No, just thought I'd ask. Mind?"

"No, guess not. To the deck then?"

"Sure, to the deck." Shaiya loosened her grip on Zuko and led him out of the infirmary and onto the deck. As they reached the railing, Shaiya released her grip on him and rested her head on his shoulder. He looked quizzically at her, but she didn't notice. Zuko let his head fall on Shaiya's, and the two watched the sun set.

Iroh stepped out to the deck, only to see his nephew and his girlfriend (though Zuko hadn't admitted to it) standing together, merely watching the sunset. He decided to head below deck and leave the 'couple' alone.

* * *

The next day, Zuko had returned to full health and decided he needed to train. He tossed on his training clothes, ordered Lt. Jee to do the same, and the two trained for nearly an hour when Kagouya and Vei began throwing a fit in the livestock hold. 

Onya and Shaiya ran out, still half asleep and in pajamas, to try to calm their beasts. Little did they know, Zuko was training on deck. The two girls ran right into him.

"What are you girls doing in . . . pajamas? It's mid morning." he asked.

"Shut up. Unless you want Kagouya or Vei to rip you to shreds, move." Shaiya yawned and hurriedly ducked below deck to calm and feed the ravaging animals.

When they returned to the deck, Zuko was still training, and they didn't even halt for the girls to pass unscathed.

After changing into some decent clothes, Shaiya decided she would teach Zuko a little lesson. There were two entrances to the livestock hold, and Shaiya used the roundabout way. She tacked Kagouya up, jumped on, and tore through the entrance on the deck, scaring the heck out of Zuko and Jee.

"What the fuck is your problem, Shaiya? Are you trying to give us a heart attack!" Zuko raged at his friend, who was circling him like a vulture.

"No, just figured I'd get back at you for trying to kill us earlier! Remember, during training, you and Jee wouldn't cease to let us pass untouched? Remember, Zukie?" Shaiya yelled as she flew in closer. She landed mere inches from Zuko, scaring the hell out of him again. She dismounted and glared at him, smiling evilly. Something she was really good at. The two stared at each other for a few minutes when Sokka came out.

"Hey, just when exactly are we gonna go try to rescue my sister!" he yelled in a rage.

"Settle down, Sokka. We're on course for Zhao's ship as we speak. Or at least Zuko's helmsman better not be as dumb as he is." Shaiya motioned at Zuko as she said that, Zuko's fists igniting in rage.

"Watch it. I can tell when you get stressed. Damn you look good when your stressed." Shaiya said. Zuko couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic. _I really hope she's not being sarcastic. Wow, she's hot._ Zuko thought, burning to say it all. Shaiya could detect a minor hint of confusion in his eyes.

About two hours later Zuko decided to rest for a little bit and have something to eat. _Three hours of training will do that to a guy_ Shaiya had said as she saw him pass, sweating bullets. She had smiled so innocently, it was hard to believe that something that innocent could do so much damage. Zuko changed, showered, and headed down to the galley to snack on something. He met Shaiya and Onya down there. They were plotting ways to rescue Katara. He sat down opposite them and had some salmon brought in for him.

* * *

Katara had been thrown into one of Zhao's dirtiest prison cells, and not too gently either. It had been almost two days since she had been captured, and the only time she was allowed to see light was when a soldier brought her some food. She was lying down on the bottom of the two beds, and she jumped when the door was thrust open. 

"My dear, I should like a word with you. In my quarters." Zhao hissed. He motioned for two soldiers to grab her and take her there. She knew what he wanted to do. He had probably been at sea for years, and hadn't seen a decent girl in all that time. She then remembered what her mother had said years before.

_Firebenders aren't people. They're animals. They can smell fear. Never show your fear in front of a firebender. They'll just take advantage of you._

Those words kept ringing in her ears. She struggled and tried to get away, but it was no use. She was thrown into Zhao's quarters, and the door locked. Katara looked for a place to hide, but there wasn't a thing to hide behind. Then the handle rattled, and Zhao entered the room.

"Well, lets start off with introductions. You know who I am, right?" she nodded. "Good. Now, what's your name?"

"Katara." she answered, showing as little fear as she could. She shifted her weight uncomfortably when Zhao took a step toward her.

"Tense, are we? No need for that. Lets loosen things up a little, okay?" he hissed as he walked up to her and put his hands on her elbows. He jerked her close to him and began kissing her neck. She squirmed, but his grip was too firm and unmoving. His lips passed her ear, then her own lips, and then they reached the other side of her neck. She could've puked, had she anything to eat that morning. She was caught off-guard when Zhao threw her onto the bed. He climbed on top of her and continued his assault.

* * *

"Zuko! ZUKO! **ZUKO!**" Shaiya yelled as she ran up and down each hall. Zuko stuck his head out of his room, looking rather annoyed, but, with no shirt on, gorgeous nonetheless. Shaiya ran him down, landing on top of him, their faces only three inches apart. 

"Yes?" he answered. She was panting, and barely managed to talk.

"Zhao… his ship…three…nautical miles…away…ten minutes…get ready." he pushed her up off of him, only to notice Onya smirking behind her. He nodded, trying to hold her still and keep her from shaking too violently, the running taking its toll on her.

"Maybe you should stay and relax just a little. The rest of us can handle him." she shook her head in disapproval at the idea, then let her head fall forward onto his chest. Onya smiled her I-told-you-so-and-here's-the-proof smile for just last night, she had told him that Shaiya was slowly but surely falling head over heels for him. She turned and walked to the deck.

Zuko couldn't possibly keep from hugging her now that the only eyes that would see him were hers. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders, the other he placed behind her head as he held her close. She returned the hug when she squeezed him gently around the base of his ribs, and then both let go sadly and slowly. Neither had to look up or down to see into the other's eyes, since both were the same height, and Zuko could see she had calmed down quite a lot. He smiled and turned to throw a shirt on.

* * *

Iroh's roar came from the deck. "PREPARE TO BOARD!" The entire crew was ready to board Zhao's ship, by force if necessary. They were just off shore of a small Earth nation village. The two ships pulled up side by side, and in unison all prepared to jump onto the huge fire nation ship. Two minutes had passed, and Sokka's nerves were mounting. Aang was ready, his staff in hand and his bison whistle tucked safely away in his shirt. Onya and Shaiya were atop their sujios, and Zuko was in front of the whole thing. At his command, the crew jumped on the ship as Onya and Shaiya took to the skies, their beautiful gold capes flowing wonderfully behind them. All split up in pairs, Sokka and Zuko, Aang and Iroh, etc. Another minute had passed when Zuko heard muffled screams to his left. 

"This way." he whispered and both boys took off in the direction of the screaming Katara. Little did they know that she was in severe trouble.

"Hush now, you don't want anyone to hear you." Zhao whispered in her ear, the only thing left on her being her underwear and bra. He was working at her bra straps when the door flew open, revealing two very pissed teenage boys.

"GET YOURFAT ASSOFF MY SISTER!" Sokka yelled as he charged, boomerang readied over his shoulder. Zuko let fly as many fireballs and jets as he could. As soon as Sokka had Zhao off Katara, Zuko ran over to her and helped her up, trying to keep between her and the rogue flames Zhao was shooting at Sokka. In the corner by the bed lay her clothes.

"Sit." he commanded as he ran back to the corner to grab her clothes. He handed them to her as he blocked a huge fireball. Just as she took her clothes, Shaiya came in, brandishing a pair of beautiful Long Dao broadswords. She came at Zhao with a fury even Zuko didn't think she had. She was screaming cuss words, insults, and anything else that crossed her mind. A jet of fire raced toward Katara, but Zuko was too quick. In one sweeping motion, he had her on the ground and was between her and that blast in the blink of an eye. She was surprised at how graceful he was. And how warm his evenly tanned skin was. _It must be a firebender thing, Zhao felt the same way._ She thought.

Five seconds, or it seemed so, passed, and with the combined efforts of Sokka and Shaiya, Zhao was out cold on the floor. Katara had ceased her crying, and was leaning on Zuko resentfully. She would much rather be on Sokka's shoulder, but she didn't have to wait much longer. She ran to her brother, who immediately hugged her. Shaiya walked over to Zuko and wrapped her arm around his back. He returned the favor, remembering what Onya had told him. Both firebenders smiled as the reunion between the two siblings continued.

"We should get going. We are on a ship full of firebenders, Katara." Sokka told his sister, and the boys left so Katara could talk to Shaiya and dress.

"So, was Zuko just hot, or is really warm skin a trait of all firebenders?" Katara asked, breaking the silence between the two friends.

"It's a firebender trait." Shaiya replied as Katara pulled her belt around her and tied it. Both walked out of the room, leaving Zhao to die of frostbite for all they cared. Shaiya grabbed Zuko's hand and Katara Sokka's, and the four returned to Zuko's ship before any of the crew could wake up from the pummeling they received from Onya, Vei, and Kagouya.

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**A/N:** Well, what did you guys think? Crappy, cool, ok? Please let me know! I still only have four reviews, three from the same reviewer! I just might dedicate a chapter to one of my reviewers! Ya never know! Though so far, the only ones I could dedicate to would be AirGirl Phantom, who has helped me become a much better writer, and Blossom of Death, whose lone review has given me a little shimmer of hope that others just might enjoy my work. I have gotten 135 hits, but only 4 reviews. Something's screwy. OK, the last person to review by my next update (whenever That'll be!)will get chapter 6 dedicated to them. And if you like this story, R&R so I'll continue it! Only one person so far wants me to, and I just might end up quitting fanfictioning altogether and offer to be her personal writing servant. And I know you people have certain words for things like that, but I'm still new, just remember. Now to see how many actually read the_ mui importante_ author notes! 


	6. The Visitor

**A/N: **I have just written a really short chapter. Please don't kill me. Just read, I am gonna try to get chapter seven up today as well. Wish me luck!

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Chapter VI: The Visitor

Zhao's ship was now headed safely away from Zuko, thanks to the helmsman on Zuko's ship. The nearby Earth nation port promised a chance to rest for a little while and restock on supplies.

"I didn't think you could, or would, get that mad at someone." Zuko commented on Shaiya's sudden entrance during the fight.

"Well, I just couldn't let you boys have all the glory. Besides, I _royally_ hate Zhao. I will use any excuse I can to get at him. You of all people should know that." Shaiya was laying on the bed, her head hanging off and her hands behind. Zuko was sitting by the head of the bed cross-legged, just watching her.

"Yeah, I should know that."

"Yup. Anyway, Onya and I are gonna head out to the port and check things out. Maybe have a little fun. Wanna come?"

"No thanks. I'm just going to stay here. Besides, my uncle will be out there and- "

"And what, Prince Zuko?" Iroh cut in.

"Uh, nothing uncle. Nothing at all."

"Uh huh, whatever." Iroh was passing Zuko's room, and Shaiya was lying in there talking to him before she went out to have some fun with Onya. He smiled before parting. The two girls were planning to go walking around on their sujios with their fists flaming. Shaiya had told Zuko she thought it was fun to scare weak people. He only laughed and agreed.

All parted once most the shops opened, and many people ran from the teenage girls and their hellish beasts, one red and white, the other black and grey.

Zuko stayed on the ship, mostly in his room meditating. When he finally decided to head on deck to get some fresh air, someone, an Earth nation messenger, rode up to him.

"Excuse me, sir?" he called to Zuko.

"What is it?"

"Is there a girl named Shaiya traveling with you?" There was a minor hint of fear in his voice.

"Yes, why?"

"This is to be given to her." Zuko walked down to where the man was mounted oh his ostrich-looking animal and took the scroll from him. The man took off in the direction he came from, and Shaiya and Onya came up from the opposite direction.

"Shaiya, this just came for you." Zuko walked up to her and handed her the scroll.

"It's from my mom!" Shaiya yelled excitedly. She tore it open and read:

_My dear Shaiya,_

_I have decided to accompany you and Prince Zuko on your travels back to the Fire nation capital. I am very eager to speak with the fire lord again. It seems like it took your boyfriend forever to capture the Avatar. I am so glad you did! I will reach you the third day after the full moon. I hope this reaches you before I do. See you soon sweetie! Love always,_

_Your Mother Meiya_

"My mother is coming with us!" Shaiya screamed excitedly.

"Oh, great. When?" Zuko asked uninterestedly.

"Third day after the full moon. Wait, that's today!"

"Oh great. We're gonna have some old lady staying with us! I won't allow it! There's already a shortage of spare rooms!" Zuko yelled, his fists steaming.

"Zuko, calm down. She's really quite nice, and she makes a mean angel hair soup. Basil sauce, oregano, the works. She taught me to cook, not that I'm any good at it." she ended her sentence when she noticed a figure standing under a cloak with a white and tan sujio at their side. Shaiya let out a blood curdling scream, jumped off her mount,and ran toward the figure.

"_MOM!_"

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**A/N:** Oh my god. Oh my friggin' god. That was soooo short. (runs screaming from her own abilities that have failed her) 


	7. He's Back For Revenge

**A/N:** I have made this chapter as long as possible, but it seems I have come down with a mild case of writer's block. Dammit. I have a story outline, but I can't think of how to do anything. Oh cramma-ding-dang. My new catch phrase. It used to be Oh my cow, but I changed it. Enjoy the chapter! And don't forget, R&R!

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Chapter VII: He's Back… For Revenge

Prince Zuko was having some trouble getting used to the new member of the crew, but she did have her perks. She was constantly drilling Shaiya on her bending, and correcting her when she got something wrong. Zuko found it satisfying to watch Shaiya get yelled at, but she always had a positive comeback. He found that hard to believe. Occasionally, the three girls would go out for a fly when the Avatar and the water tribe siblings would come above deck, but they would return after about an hour.

It had been almost two weeks after Shaiya's mom, Meiya, joined them, and everyone had more fun. Even Zuko. He couldn't even understand his sudden enjoyment.

Katara's wrists were now fully healed, and she was practicing with Aang a lot. They would practice waterbending, and Aang would toss in some air tricks just to toss her off her feet. Onya was even helping in all this, though she would purposely lose. _Losing on purpose is really fun_ she had said when he asked her why she did lose.

They were now only three months from the fire nation capital, and Zuko was getting more excited with every passing day. Then, a nightmare of epic proportions occurred. Zhao returned. Lt. Jee ran in to wake Zuko up about 3:00AM.

"SIR!"

"Whu? What is it, Jee?"

"ZHAO IS BACK!"

"He's… what!" Zuko stammered.

"He's back, and he's got only one ship this time."

"Wake every capable warrior. Leave the prisoners." Zuko ordered. Jee left the room to rouse the crew, ladies included. In a matter of minutes, everyone was awake, dressed, and ready to kick butt.

Zuko suddenly heard Zhao's seethingly evil voice.

"Well, prince Zuko. Acquired yet another woman, have you. I am thoroughly amazed. I have come for a girl. Not the water wench I had last time, but," Zhao pointed to Shaiya, "her. Shaiya, you will be coming with me by the time this fight ends." And sure enough, even through the combined efforts of all the firebenders on Zuko's ship, Zhao got what he wanted. A girl.

He drug her on his ship, his minions holding her mother and Iroh back as he did so. She would fight back, but it didn't work. She was very powerful, but not strong enough to hold off the admiral of the Fire nation. Zhao drug her onto his ship, locked her in one of the prison cells, and returned to Zuko's ship.

Meiya and Iroh had been knocked unconscious, leaving the entire crew, minus the Avatar and comrades, out cold on the deck. Zhao had no idea that the Avatar was still on Zuko's ship because the bison he owned was below deck in the livestock hold. Zhao ordered his helmsman to redirect Zuko's ship southeast, while he headed northwest. None of the crew returned to consciousness for nearly an hour.

* * *

Even though she wasn't used to the feeling, Shaiya was deadly afraid of what Zhao would do to her. He had announced he was there simply for her. She feared the worst. Little did she know, she was only too right. 

Zhao entered her cell three hours after daybreak the next day.

"Now, you're mine. There's nothing you can do. You will bear my children. Much to your disdain, you will become mine." Shaiya had nothing to counter this. She merely sat in the far corner.

"I have never, _ever_ seen you like this, my dear. Your beloved father wouldn't like to see you unhappy. Let's make sure your not unhappy, but in agony." Zhao directed his sentence to the nearby soldiers. "Take her to my quarters. She gets nothing to eat until she has been claimed. By me."

That final statement scared Shaiya to death. She wasn't sure what would happen to her. She would soon find out. Another hour later, Zhao entered his room, removed his armor, and walked up to her.

"Smile. You look much better when you smile. I don't want my children to be saddened by their mother's lack of joy."

* * *

Zuko was the first to wake up on the frigid deck of his ship. He looked around, recalling what had happened a mere hour and a half ago. Everyone who was on his ship - Iroh, Meiya, Jee, Onya, and his other soldiers - were all out cold. There was only one person he didn't see. Shaiya. He jerked himself to his feet and ran to his uncle. Zuko shook him awake. 

"Uncle! Uncle! Shaiya, Zhao got her. She's... gone." he gradually went from a yell to a whisper. His uncle sat up in shock, remembering all too clearly what had happened earlier that day as well. All he could manage was a hoarse "Rouse everyone and help any who need to the infirmary." Zuko followed his orders, and soon, everyone was in the infirmary, the ladies on two of the four beds, Jee on the third, and Iroh on the fourth. The doctor had been hurt pretty badly, but he tended to the others before himself. Zuko had been aided first, and he now sat in a chair in the corner, brooding.

Occasionally, someone would hear the occasional "I can't believe I let him go," or "He'll die," etc. come from Zuko's corner.The sun's warming rays began to show through the open door, and as soon as it did, so did the trio of captives.

"What the hell happened here?" Katara asked.

"Zhao came back, and he took Shaiya with him." Iroh answered for his nephew who was still sitting in the corner brooding. Katara let out a gasp.

"Will she be okay? How far away did he get? Is he close enough for me to get the ship with waterbending?"

"No, he got away late last night, and I have a feeling we're heading in the opposite direction he is."

"Why don't we turn around? He'll probably end up raping her." Zuko shuddered at those words. "Sorry Zuko, but if you and Sokka hadn't come in when you did, he would've raped me, too." It was Sokka's turn to shudder. Shocking everyone, Zuko jumped up immediately and headed on deck. Katara followed, keeping far behind.

Zuko headed for where the helmsman was and ordered him topull a 180. Katara's inspiration had given him the strength and purpose to move. They were going to get Shaiya back. Hopefully, she wouldn't already be pregnant when they reached her.

* * *

**A/N:** So, how did you like it? I managed to get two up today, YAY ME! If y'all want a few good laughs, I have updated my profile aslo, so that should have some more laughs tossed in. See Ya! 


	8. Attack of the Mad Teens

**A/N:** Hey y'all! I got chapter 8 up finally, and I am _officially_ over my writer's block! Ten minutes to finish from the final separator to the end, minus the author note. Halleleuia! Does anyone out there know any German? I am foreshadowing by asking you people if you know any. It will come in handy. Mwahahahaha. I had some fun over the past few days. If you want to read about it, keep reading. If not, just skip to the _good_ stuff. Teeheehee.

We were supposed to go to a jumpers horseshow on Sat., but it got rained out. Our first rain in 6 1/2 months! Yipee! So, to pass the time, all twelve of us went to Cracker Barrel and had brunch. I ate sooo much! Then, we went to the Gaylord Texan hotel and resort. That place is sooooo cool! I came up with a new catchphrase while at the Gaylord. My dad has officially become the 'Gaylord Boys'. Yay! It is... Gees, my Bees! Wild, I know. Oh well.

After that, we went to the mall. Woopee! We were shopping for about ten hours when my stomach started talking to me. It buged me so much that we ended up eating at the Rainforest Cafe. I love that place. I got a_huge_ pizza. Yum.

Down to business. Does anyone want me to add lines from songs at the beginning, or just keep it strictly to _in_ the story? Review and tell me, y'all! Sianara suckers! (cough _not_ cough)

* * *

Chapter VIII: Attack of the Mad Teens

It took awhile to locate Zhao's ship, two hours to be exact. Once in sight of Zuko's telescope, Iroh estimated that it would be about an hour until they reached his ship. In that time, everyone, even the Avatar and his friends were preparing to board and fight, with force if necessary. Everyone had become very fond of all three firebender girls, and none wanted any of them hurt. Least of all, the Prince and his uncle.

The hour Iroh had estimated passed rather quickly, and all but the doctor crept onto Zhao's ship from a miniscule little rowboat, Sokka with his boomerang, Aang with his staff, and Zuko with his Long Dao broadswords sheathed on his back. It was reaching midday, and that meant that all had to be deadly careful as to not give themselves away.

All in pairs, minus Zuko, split up to scour the ship for any sign of Shaiya. It didn't take long. Zuko ran into Aang and Katara, followed soon by Sokka and Onya. The five were about to turn a corner when they heard two soldiers conversing.

"That redhead is one sexy little bitch. I wish she was mine."

"Amen. I don't mind serving under Zhao, but the fact that he gets everything, and we get nothing is sickening."

"True, it is sickening. I can't wait till we get home. My wife is probably miserable."

"Don't be too sure, Vurra. I heard rumors that the women were perfectly fine without us."

"Don't believe crap like that, Ishadian. The other soldiers just want to taunt us. They're bored, and frankly, I don't blame them. Zhao won't even let us near his Pai Sho game board. We wouldn't be so bored, though, if we just had a few little toys."

"Toys?"

"Girls, you moron. Slaves, wenches, toys. Get it?"

"No need to be coy with me. I may not be the smartest, but I am _not_ dumb."

"Ishadian, I never said you were dumb. Just a little slow. But what more can you expect from a blonde?" At that comment, Onya was exhibiting major self-control, she really wanted to attack the one named Vurra for that comment. She didn't have to do a thing, though, Ishadian beat her to the punch. Literally. Then all seven heard footfalls, metal boots on the (metal) ship. Zhao was coming. The five hiding ducked behind some barrels of blasting jelly and enjoyed the show.

"Ishadian, Vurra. What are you doing?" came Zhao's voice, hissing like a cobra, with poisonous breaths, sitting, waiting for one of the soldiers to set one fingernail out of line so he could pounce.

"Just… just talking, sir."

"Well, your done now. Get back to work. I'll be busy in my quarters. No disturbances." Zhao turned on his heels and headed the way of his room, where Shaiya was sure to be waiting her untimely fate at his hands.

"What will we do now?" Katara asked suddenly. Zuko was planning on rushing after Zhao when the two returned to their work, but Ishadian and Vurra didn't leave, just began picking up barrels of blasting jelly and moving them across the deck to some other soldiers. There goes their hideout.

"Here's what we do." Zuko whispered. "Onya, you get back to the ship. Bring Kagouya and Vei. Cause the biggest distraction you can. Sokka, Katara… Avatar, you cause a distraction until Onya gets back with those hellish beasts of hers. Then, if possible, begin to tear the ship apart. Just enough to where Zhao comes out. Once he does, I'll go get Shaiya. As soon as I do, you take off on Vei. Leave Kagouya. How many will Vei hold?"

"Three, if we squish."

"Then you'll have to squish. Make sure Kagouya is on the stern. That's where I'll take Shaiya. We'll take off on her, and meet you back at the ship. How long until you return with them, Onya?"

"About twenty minutes."

"Great. We'll try to hold them off, and find as many of the others as we can and tell them the plan. We'll need the biggest distraction possible." They ended their whisper conversation when Vurra and Ishadian returned for two more barrels. As soon as the two turned their backs, the other five took off, Onya for the rowboats, the remaining for a new hiding place.

* * *

Shaiya was startled when the door was flung open, revealing Admiral Zhao, or as she preferred to call him, Admiral Monkey Face. 

"Get up." he commanded.

"No."

"Excuse me? What did you just say?"

"No." she replied calmly.

"When I tell you to get up, you damn well better do as I say."

"Bite me."

"Don't tempt me."

"Go ahead, just find out what a mad woman is like."

"I already have. I crossed your mother once, and she nearly killed me."

"Why haven't you learned your lesson, then?"

"You are very different, and much weaker, than your mother."

"So? I'll still fight back."

"That's exactly it. You don't know when to quit."

"Neither do you."

"That's not my point!" Zhao began to get aggravated.

"And what, may I ask, _is_ your point?"

"That when your outclassed, just give in. It'll save energy."

"I don't need to save energy. You, however, need a new haircut. You look like a friggin' monkey."

"How _dare_ you!"

"How dare I what?"

"Insult me that way!"

"So your weak enough to succumb to insults?"

"NO!"

"Then quit acting like it." Shaiya was enjoying this now, for she was getting a rise out of the Admiral, and it was pretty funny, too. He contorted his face to look even more like a monkey than it already did.

"That's it. Your done!" he yelled. He tore off his armor, threw it unceremoniously in the corner, and grabbed Shaiya by the upper arm. He tossed her on the bed, and began to undress her.

"EXCUSE ME! JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING!"

"Using you. Your in my control now, and no one is going to be able to stop me. My crew can handle anything your friends can throw at them."

He had her shirt off, and was working at her pants when she kicked him where it really counted. He screamed in agony and tumbled to the floor. Shaiya jumped up, tossed her shirt on, and ran to the door, only to find it locked. She spun around just in time to dodge Zhao's flaming fists.

They fought for about twenty minutes until Shaiya began to tire. Dodging flame after flame, and trying to toss your own in, as she found out, especially against the Admiral and fire lord's right hand man, wasn't easy. Beads of sweat were forming on her forehead, and her muscles were screaming their protests. Zhao, however, didn't seem to be wavering, even though the room had to be at least 100 degrees.

* * *

Zuko could hear the fight going on outside the room. He had been sitting there for nearly half an hour by the time he heard exactly what he was waiting for. Onya had arrived with the sujios. As they reared, their hooves struck the deck, letting out a monstrously loud boom that echoed all through the ship. Zuko could see the fire blasts just down the hall, the door to the deck just a little ways off. 

Then, just what he had been waiting for. One of Zhao's soldiers, Ishadian, came running down the hall to fetch their commanding officer.

* * *

Zhao had finally gotten Shaiya nearly undressed, he had to pin her down, beat her bloody, andknock her semi-unconscious to do so. He heard a knock on the door. It sounded frantic. 

"I thought I said _no distractions_!"

"But sir, we're under attack! Prince Zuko's uncle, three girls, and numerous other fire soldiers are out trying to rip the ship to bits! We need your help! They have two sujios with them!" At the mention of the word 'sujio', Shaiya tilted her head toward the door, and Zhao released her. She just laid there. He got up, yelled he would be out in five, dressed, and went to save his incompetent soldiers from the battle.

While Zhao was gone, Shaiya just didn't move. He had locked the door behind him, and she had no way to get out. She was too worn out to melt the handle. Then, as if her wish had come true, the handle turned a bright orange and began to melt away. A minute later, Zuko thrust the door open and ran in. To Shaiya's side. He looked down at her as he knelt beside her. She was half conscious, and covered in blood. Her own blood. She had a broken nose, and her wrists were bloody. Her face was bruised, her legs purple in some places. Her arms were red where Zhao was holding her.

Zuko looked down on her as she struggled to open her eyes.

"Hang on. Just gimme a second." he whispered. He walked over to where her clothes were as she tried to sit up. He grabbed her clothes and attempted to get her to stand. She managed, and she pulled her clothes on. Seeing that she was in no condition to walk, Zuko picked her up bridal style and ran from the room to the stern. He found Kagouya waiting there. He tossed her up on the saddle, jumped up after her, and guided the animal to the edge of the boat at a dead run. Kagouya spread her wings gracefully and took off for the ship.

Seeing his nephew in the air, Iroh quickly foiled his opponent.

"Get out of here! We have what we came for!" At that command, all stopped, the soldiers from Zuko's ship ran to the side of the ship and dove, Onya, Sokka, and Katara leapt onto Vei, and Aang took off on his glider. All returned to the ship in one piece, Iroh the most severely burned, with minor second degree burns on his arms.

Once they landed, Onya threw her leg over Vei's neck and took off for the infirmary. There, she found her best friend in a bed, caked in blood.

* * *

**A/N:** Hahaha! Cliffie! Just to keep y'all from killing me mercilessly, I'll get chapter 9 up A.S.A.P. Please don't kill me!Don't forget about what I asked for! Anyone who has access to German and whether or not y'all want songs at the beginning and in the story, or just in the story. Tell Me! R&R y'all! 


	9. You Can't Escape Me

**A/N:** For those of you who read the last author note, youknow what would be in this one. Just a reminder. R&R y'all!

* * *

Chapter IX: You Can't Escape Me

Onya ran to her friend's side and fell to her knees. Zuko was sitting in a chair beside Shaiya, holding her hand. The doctor was bustling about in the back trying to find bandages, ointment, and anything else he may need to remedy the girl.

"Will she be okay?" Onya whispered.

"I hope so. Doc hasn't said anything to worry me, so she should." As Zuko said that, the doctor came in with his arms full of wrap bandages and burn ointment. Onya moved to help him with his load, leaving Zuko to sit there. Just as she got up, everyone else made it in. Meiya's eyes filled with worry for her daughter. She ran to Shaiya's side, shoving Zuko out of his chair.

"What was that for!" he yelled.

"This is my daughter, my hand should be in hers." Meiya replied. For about twenty minutes, everyone just stood with baited breath as the doctor did his work trying to heal the girl. Just as he finished wrapping her last bandage, Zuko heaved a huge sigh, letting out some smoke. Aang turned and looked up at him. He didn't notice the 12-year-old's gaze fall upon him.

"So, how long until we reach the fire nation?" he asked. Zuko had no reply. He didn't need one.

"We'll be there in two and a half months, if we keep up this pace." his uncle answered. Aang didn't feel too keen on pressing the subject, so he just let it slide. Shaiya began to stir.

"Uhh." she mumbled. Zuko jerked his head in her direction. He whispered her name so only he could hear.

"Shaiya, my darling little girl." her mother said, tears building up in her eyes. Zuko took a step forward, followed by Onya.

"Ma?" she whispered.

"Yes?"

"What's going on in here?"

"Well, thanks to Zuko," Meiya said this grudgingly, "your lying here, in the infirmary of his ship. You've been beaten up pretty badly-" Meiya was cut off.

"I figured as much. Zhao decided he wanted to 'use me' as he calls it. He tried to… to rape me." The entire room gasped. "We argued, then I fought back for about twenty minutes, but it did no good. I just tired. He finally reverted to beating me senseless and breaking my wrists the same way he did Katara's. My wrists wouldn't yield. He just bloodied them. I couldn't feel my hands, so he just kept on beating me until I wavered between consciousness and unconsciousness.

"About five to eight minutes after he had gotten me beaten senseless, he began to undress me. He was almost there when someone came and told him something. All I heard was the word 'sujio', and then Zhao dressed and left. I couldn't move, so I just prayed that someone would get me out of that hell. Zuko did. All I remember was him coming in, whispering something to me, helping me get my clothes back on, and then I began to black out. I could feel him carrying me, and then I heard Kagouya's heavy breathing.

"Then he tossed me onto her, jumped on himself, and we flew off. I clearly remember briefly coming to when the icy wind hit my face. Then, I completely blacked out and wavered, I think." She ended her sentence when she noticed Zuko off to the side.

"Mum, guys, could I… talk to Zuko for a sec?" Meiya was puzzled by her daughter's request, but she and all else obeyed. Everyone, even the doctor, left Zuko and Shaiya alone, and Shaiya struggled to sit up.

"I just… wanted to thank you for getting me out, Zuko." Shaiya whispered, almost too quiet to be heard.

"Don't. It… it was the least I could do. My entire crew seems so much perkier since you and, uh, Onya joined us. I just couldn't bear to think about what Zhao would do to you if I didn't stop him. He attempted to rape Katara, and then came for you and did the same. I just… wouldn't be able to live with myself if that happened to you." he stopped himself here.

_Why is it so hard for me to talk to her? She's just a friend. A really talented, strong, independent, and pretty friend. Like Zula used to be. And my mother._ Zuko ended his train of thought when Shaiya began to talk again.

"I don't want him to come back. I really don't."

"I understand." Zuko said as he gently put wrapped his arm around her. He felt her shudder, no doubt remembering what happened earlier that day.

"Sorry." he mumbled.

"For what?"

"For… you know,--"

"Yes, I know." she whispered as she leaned into his grip. She wrapped her arms around him, letting her fingers interlock and rest on his other shoulder. He, in turn, stretched his other arm around her, and the two sat for a couple minutes, not wanting to move.

"Uh, would food be too much to ask?" Shaiya asked semi-skeptically.

"No, why?"

"I'm so hungry I could eat a whole sujio raw!" The two sat and giggled as someone knocked on the door. Zuko replied in a husky voice.

"Enter."

"Prince Zuko, I wonder if we could talk?" Iroh asked from the doorway.

"Sure. Shaiya, if you'll excuse me." Sadly but quickly, the two teens released each other and Shaiya laid back down as they left.

"What is it uncle? Shaiya's hungry. I need to get her something."

"Then I'll make this quick." Zuko noticed they were headed toward his room. "Don't you think it would be better if Shaiya slept in your room until we can be sure Zhao has left? She would be much safer than sharing a room with her friend."

"Uncle, do whatever you like. Right now, I need to get her some food." With that, Zuko turned on his heel and headed for the galley to order the chef to prepare some bread, soup, and tea for Shaiya.

* * *

Late that night when Zuko went to check on Shaiya, he didn't bring her any food like he usually did.

"Whu, I get a goodnight now?" she asked jokingly.

"Yeah, but your also coming with me to my room."

"What for?" she asked, sitting up.

"Your to stay with me tonight. My uncle decided upon this, not me. Not that I mind. As long as your safe, I don't care if I have to sleep in the livestock hold." Shaiya giggled when he mentioned this.

"I still am having a little trouble walking, though I made once around the room without getting majorly dizzy. You'll have to help me a bit." Zuko nodded and stepped up to help her.

_Poor girl,_ he thought,_ she can barely walk, much less stand up straight. I should just stay with her in here. No, these doors aren't fireproof. Mine are. She's staying with me._

By the time he finished, the two were at the door, and Shaiya needed only a hand on her back to walk on her own.

The two made it to Zuko's room without so much as a single dizzy spell. He changed after helping her get settled onto his bed.

"Just let me change, and I'll be right back." he said as he left the room through an alternative door. He came back shortly after dressed in nothing but a pair of pants. That left Shaiya a little nervous, and Zuko could see it in her eyes.

"Don't worry. I won't do a thing to you. After what you've been through, I wouldn't even dream of it. Your safe with me, I promise." he whispered as he crawled beneath the covers. He wrapped a comforting hand around her stomach and pulled her close, much to her discomfort.

"If Zhao dares try anything, he'll fall asleep and never wake up." he whispered, comforting her tense nerves. She visibly relaxed, and turned to face the ceiling. Zuko merely extinguished the lanterns and both promptly fell into a deep slumber.


	10. Laughter Unintended

**A/N:** I think that, so far, this is my longest chapter. It took me almost 7 pages to write. And almost a whole week and a half, I think. I still need someone that is fluent in German. I'm foreshadowing by asking, so PLEASE let me know! I will give y'all full credit for the German in the chapters!

I also want to know if anyone wants me to begin the story with lyrics. I've got two reviews partaining to that so far. One, they don't care, it's not like we can hear them anyway. The other, only do it if it falls under the category of 'Oh my gosh that is THE perfect song!'. Thanks to **AirGirl Phantom** and **wingedblackheart** for those reviews. Sianara suckers! (cough _not_ cough)

**Disclaimer:** Just so y'all know, I don't own anything partaining to Avatar, minus the plot, Shaiya, Onya, Ina, the sujios, and... no, wait... that's all I own. Oh yeah, I also own my horses, dog, and mouse, of which is two and a half years old and due to die any day. Mice only live up to two years. And I own my straight-A report card! Sorry, didn't mean to rub that in y'all's face, if I even didn't. Don't forget to reveiw! Tank U!

* * *

Chapter X: Laughter Unintended

That night was Music Night, and for once, it wouldn't get interrupted by anything. Even though the events of the night before last still haunted Shaiya, she was looking forward to performing for the guys. She would also have her mother and best friend as backup dancers. If the age lines on Meiya disappeared, she would look as if she, too, was in her late teens, even though she was in her mid thirties.

Zuko was walking down to his room when he heard Shaiya singing, rehearsing a song she hadn't sung in almost two months. Her voice drifted down the hall quite gracefully, considering her song was full of action and adventure.

Get your motor runnin'

Head out on the highway

Lookin' for adventure

And whatever comes our way

Yeah Darlin' go make it happen

Take the world in a love embrace

Fire all of your guns at once

And explode into space

I like smoke and lightning

Heavy metal thunder

Racin' with the wind

And feeling that I'm under

Yeah Darlin' go make it happen

Take the world in a love embrace

Fire all of your guns at once

And explode into space

Like a true nature's child

We were born, born to be wild

We can climb so high

I never wanna die

Born to be wild

Born to be wild

As she ended the song, Zuko walked into her room.

"Wow. Where'd you learn that?"

"I dunno. My dad always sang weird songs, and that one is my favorite." she replied.

"Music Night doesn't start until sundown, and we're gonna be docking in half an hour, so that leaves you some time to have some fun."

"Sweet. Thank ya." Shaiya replied as she smiled sweetly. She had a big day planned. The next port they were stopping at was supposed to have a huge forest behind it. She was looking forward to flying through the trees at the speed of light. Onya too, of course. She was headed down for the livestock hold when a thought crossed her mind.

_Does Zuko like me?_

_Why wouldn't he? _replied the 'little voice in her head'.

_I dunno. I've turned so many guys away from me with the fact that I've been stronger than them._

_So? A good boyfriend wouldn't give a crap how strong you were._

_Most guys love saving their girlfriends, though._

_Most guys have wimpy little weak girlfriends. Zuko was lucky enough to meet you._

_Yeah, I guess your right. _She couldn't believe she had just agreed with her little voice.

_Of course I'm right. When am I not right?_

_Where do I begin, voice._

_Don't start._

_Bite me._

_Don't tempt me._

Her argument with her 'voice in her head' ended when she decided to see just how much Zuko did care. How much blood he could handle. And just how well he would take the fact that she could be very clumsy.

* * *

It was reaching dusk, and the crew began to worry. Onya and Shaiya hadn't returned from their girls' day out. It didn't ever take them as long as it was today. Zuko had just decided head out to look for them when he saw two indistinguishable figures in the sky which he later identified as being the girls and their sujios. As they landed, Sokka and Zuko ran up to them. Shaiya was covered in blood, again. 

"What the heck happened to you?" Zuko asked, frantic.

"I… I…" Shaiya struggled between stifled giggles. "I fell off Kagouya in mid-air!"

Zuko looked like he had just seen a ghost. "What?"

"I said…" she giggled louder this time, "I fell off Kagouya in mid-air. I fell into tree after tree, then once I hit the ground, I began to roll down the hill the ground sloped into. After I had gained enough momentum, I tried to stop. By then, I was covered in superficial cuts and scrapes. Well, I was almost stopped when… when…" she burst out laughing.

Onya continued for her. "When she fell off a cliff into the ocean!" Both girls doubled over in fits of laughter. Sokka and Zuko turned to stare at each other.

"Did they just say what I think they just said?" Sokka asked.

"Yup."

* * *

After running through their explanation to everyone, Onya and Shaiya headed up to the infirmary to get their cuts and bruises looked at and bandaged. Then, they changed into some less-torn clothes and headed on deck for Music Night. 

Shaiya was ready to sing because she had not only one of her five best friends, but also her mother as backup dancers. They sang not only the song Zuko heard Shaiya singing earlier that day, Born To Be Wild, but also Aquarius, It's In His Kiss, Here Comes The Sun, Rebel Child, and Dancing In The Street.

The ladies made sure that all the guys had plenty of fun by dancing with all of them, minus Zuko. He was surprised to see that Shaiya was a very skilled dancer. Something he didn't expect.

* * *

After Music Night ended, all returned to their rooms. 

Zuko headed to his room to await Shaiya. She had gone to her room to grab her pajamas, a pair of her father's pants and one of his shirts. She treasured the clothes more than her riches, little though they may be.

When she got to Zuko's room, she went to his private bathroom and changed. She came out, and Zuko went in. He came out in his customary pants and no shirt. When he did come out, he saw Shaiya sitting on the corner of his bed, looking rather uncomfortable.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked inquisitively.

"Yeah."

"You don't seem okay."

"I said I'm okay." she replied tensely.

"Okay, fine. Didn't mean to bug you. I'm just a little worried. Is that allowable?"

"Yeah. I guess." she mumbled. Slowly, Zuko walked over to the edge of the bed she was sitting on and gently laid his arm around her shoulder. Too tired to object, she leaned into his grip.

"C'mon, we need to get to bed. You've got a big day tomorrow."

"I do?"

"Yup. Remember, my uncle challenged you to an Agni Kai, just to see how far along you are."

"Oh, yeah. Ugh." With that final grunt from Shaiya, the two crawled under the covers and snuggled, mostly Zuko. He wrapped the arm he was lying on around her shoulders and his other arm around the base of her ribs.

"And just what, may I ask, are you doing cuddling up to me?" Shaiya asked.

"Not cuddling, I just want to make sure that Zhao doesn't make it to you."

"And what do you mean by that?"

"I spotted another Fire Navy ship around 80 nautical miles away. If they managed to catch up, who knows who' on that ship." The thought just scared Shaiya dramatically. "Hey, your okay."

"I know, I just don't want anyone to find me. My mother would kill both of us, you then me, Zhao would kill you then rape me, my disobedience would be reported to a higher authority, and no matter what happened, I'd end up dying. I'm too young to die. And besides, my mother would never believe me if I told her that her _hero_ tried to rape me."

"Wait, Zhao's your mother's hero? I find that hard to believe. Anyway. We both are too young to die. And don't worry. No one will get to you." Zuko answered in what he hoped to be a soothing tone.

"I know. I trust you, Zuko. A lot."

"Thanks. Not many people do. There's just one thing I want you to know. When your with me, do as I say. Forget Zhao, forget your mother, forget the customs, and most of all, forget about me. As far as you're concerned, I'm not here. There's nothing in the world that can destroy you. Just keep that train of thought. Just stick with that train of thought. Don't lose that thought. I am not here, Zhao doesn't exist, the customs were never written, and your mother doesn't care. Just think like that. Just think like that." Zuko whispered and sighed.

Shaiya visibly relaxed. She even snuggled into the bed a little more. It wasn't long before the two teens' breathing evened out and they fell into a deep slumber.

* * *

The next day, Meiya decided to wake her daughter early. Little did she know, Shaiya and Zuko were sleeping peacefully, in Zuko's bed. Meiya's first stop was Shaiya's room. Empty. 

_She must be with Zuko_, she thought. _If he's dishonored her, I'll have his head._

Meiya headed down the hallway to the prince's room and cracked the door. Slowly, Meiya made her way up to the bed. In it, she found from the teens' mid upper-arm and up uncovered. She began to worry.

Slowly, Meiya crept back to the door and closed it almost all the way. Then, unable to keep her anger bottled up, she threw the door open in a rage of blind fury.

"GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF MY DAUGHTER!" she yelled, causing both teens to wake instantly and her little baby girl to fall to the floor on her backside.

"Mother, what is your _problem_!" Shaiya yelled as she stood.

"Your in BED with a boy and your NOT even MARRIED yet!" her mother screamed, her fists igniting.

"I'm _not_ a baby, I'm aware of the customs, and I can _think_ for myself, thanks! Besides, would you like to know why I'm sleeping with Zuko?"

"Oh please, do enlighten me." her mother replied sarcastically.

"Zhao, your _hero_, tried to rape me!"

"Watch what you say! Your lying!"

"I wish I was!"

"Zuko forced you in here, didn't you, you filthy bastard! Just because your royalty doesn't mean you can play around with my daughter!"

"He didn't do a damn thing to me!" Zuko looked as if he had just seen a ghost. He was kneeling in bed, his arms dangling loosely at his side. Meiya had enough and she charged. Her daughter caught her midway to the bed.

"Well, it most certainly looked like he did!"

"I told you, he didn't! I came in here, with Zuko, in his bed, on my _own_! And besides _mother_…" Shaiya snarled the last word as, in one swift move, she spun on her heels, walked up to the now standing Zuko, threw her arms around his neck, and forced him into the first, and possibly most emotional, kiss the two shared.

Meiya was positively taken aback by the sudden action of her daughter. She noisily stormed out of the room.

Shaiya released Zuko and stared straight into his molten-amber eyes.

"_Whoa_." he whispered.

"I had to get my mother off your case."

"Uh, thanks."

"Well, see ya Zuko." she said as she released her grip and left the room after her mother.

After Shaiya set things straight with her mother, she met Zuko in the galley for an early breakfast. Iroh wandered in after the teens finished their last biscuits and were getting ready to head above deck.

"Sleep well? I heard shouting earlier." he asked.

"We're fine, uncle." Zuko replied. Shaiya smiled sweetly and followed Zuko to the deck.

The two began to practice their moves before Iroh comes out, intent on being warmed up so he doesn't yell at the two.

Shaiya strikes up a conversation.

"So, Zuko. Why are you letting the Avatar wander about the ship without guards?"

"We made an agreement. If he tries to leave, I get his bison. Not that I _want_ that stupid monstrosity."

"Yeah. Appa is pretty big. I'm amazed he hasn't tried to kill the Av…uh… Aang."

"I wish he would. Then I could take his crushed body to my father. Maybe I'd get my honor restored. I really don't care at this point."

"Oh yeah, why not? I thought you were all about the _honor, throne, _and _kingdom_ you were promised if you _did_ bring him back."

"I was. That was until I realized that my father stripped me of everything I cared about. He, and his ancestors, destroyed everything the Avatar cared about. Why am I fighting the Avatar, who has more in common with me than we both would like, rather than helping him fight the man that almost killed me, and who is continuing the very same war which caused the Avatar to become the last Airbender left in the world, and disappear for 100 years. Why am I not fighting my enemy, but a boy that can help me destroy my enemy?"

"Wow. Since you put it that way, I guess you're right. We should be fighting your father rather than Aang. That was a little confusing by the way."

"Oh, sorry."

"It's okay. I'm used to confusing. One of the BCD's, Ina is her name, has quite a habit of being random and confusing. When she does that, she's really hard to understand."

"I bet she is." As Zuko finished his sentence, Iroh walked above deck with the Avatar and Katara in tow.

"Guess what guys, time to train!" Iroh called. Katara summoned up some water, Zuko and Shaiya stood in their fighting stance, and Aang held up his staff, all preparing for the training they were going to receive.

* * *

**A/N:** How'd y'all like it? It was kinda long, but oh well. Don't forget about the German I need, and the opinions on the lyrics at the beginning of the chappies. Tank U! TTYL! 


	11. Shaiya is Pissed

**A/N:** Hey y'all! I'm so sorry that it took so long to get chapter 11 up.My writer's block came back with a vengeance!It took me from the 29th of January to the 11th of February to get a (short) chapter up.I've also begun work on a new story which I will post as soon as I get two or three chapter up.

Y'all wanna hear about the other half of what has kept me from getting this chapter up? There's a girl at the barn who's a Betty Brags-A-Lot, and every time we've been out to the barn she lives at, she's always talking about how her boyfriend is so awesome and nice and adorable and supportive and strong, etc. Well, I'm tired of hearing "Oh, hey (name), sorry I couldn't call, my friend is over and we're playing with my new puppy. I'm still going to the show, your coming, right?" All that mushy-gushy crap. Yuck. And the worst part is, she's in 6th GRADE! And I'll be the first to admit that I'm not absolutely a doll, but she looks worse than me, and she wears horse-pattern sweatshirts! I didn't even think they made those anymore!

Also, everything she wants, she gets. She's not even liked at the barn anymore, and she wonders why I give her the cold shoulder when my other friends are there. She wonders why no one hangs around her anymore. I feel like saying "Well, maybe if you'd quit riding everything and quit showing off, then maybe people would like you somewhat. That's the entire reason I give you the cold shoulder.Also, the fact that you think that you own the damn barn." Ooh, how I'd love to set her STRAIGHT!

I feel as though some of you are saying "GET ON WITH IT!" Patience is a virtue. I still need to add my disclaimer.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Avatar, but I do own a new horse. Short, sweet, and to the point. Ha! (lawyers back off with a pissed experssion on their faces) Sianara ya stupid lawyer-suckers! Now, onto the story.

* * *

Chapter XI: Shaiya is Pissed

Training had just ended, and all four trainees were sweating bullets, literally. All were out of breath, exhausted, and weak. All had been training for nearly four hours when the chef, Arleon, walked up to alert Iroh that lunch was ready.

All headed to their respective rooms to change into dry, uncinged clothes. When Zuko, the first to return to the galley, walked in, he found his favorite dish prepared for him. Grilled salmon laced with a delicious vinaigrette dressing. Something of his uncle's creation. He sat down and dug in.

Soon, everyone was in the galley eating. A stony silence descended upon them.

Shaiya decided to begin a conversation. Having never set foot in the fire nation, and having heard rumors about the tuatara, she was very curious.

"Anyone know what a tuatara is?" she asked, breaking the silence.

Iroh looked up. "Why yes. I know quite a lot about them. They are one of only two lizards that differ widely from all other lizards in existence. They, as well as the kiwikania, have survived on the only island in the fire nation that is uninhabited. They are a light green or light brown color, and they look somewhat like a crocodile. Really interesting. They were the favored pet of the Avatar 500 years ago, Avatar Goyemni. She was a very powerful Avatar. She had made up many moves that the modern earthbenders use now." Aang looked up from his bowl of veggie soup flavored like salmon.

The conversation went on quite a while. By that time, everyone had finished their food and all were listening attentively to Iroh explain about the fascinating little lizard.

Iroh just finished the full explanation when he decided that it was time for some laughs.

"Prince Zuko, how about you tell these people your story about your first encounter with the tuatara?" Iroh asked. Zuko nodded, wondering why he did, and began.

"Well, some man was in the capital touring with all the exotic animals he had. Those in question: a liger, hog monkey, labradoodle, and, of course, the famed tuatara. Well, my father thought it would be really cool to have him come and perform some moves with the liger of his, and the liger and tuatara were really good friends. He was in the middle of a trick with the liger when the tuatara decided to crawl across the room to me. I am _not_ a big fan of lizards, and so I freaked out, being only 6 at the time. Well, that sneaky little devil crawled up my leg and onto my shoulder, where he was always perched on the man during explanations and what-not.

"I freaked out and ran to my mother. Thankfully, I inherited the hate of lizards from my dad, so he understood. My mom loved lizards, and she carefully pried the little devil off my shoulder and headed to give it back to the man. As soon as her grip on the tuatara was loosened, he made a beeline straight for me. The little jerk. He left some hefty claw marks in my skin that day."

Everyone was laughing hysterically.

1234567890987654321

An entire week went by, no sign of Zhao, which was a good thing, and no sign of the coast of the Fire Nation. The ship was due back to the fire nation in two weeks, and Zuko was acting as though he would die if he didn't check the telescope at least once a day.

Shaiya had another fight with her mother, and Zuko was caught in the middle, again. This time, though, Meiya decided that they would leave the next day. Shaiya wasn't on speaking terms with her mother, needless to say. Onya was pretty pissed, too. She and Sokka were getting pretty close now, and she wasn't ready to leave.

That night was Music Night, and Shaiya and Onya has some songs to sing, one especially, in hopes that it would change Meiya's mind. Aang and Katara were getting pretty close, too, and no one on the ship wanted to see the female firebenders leave. Least of all, Zuko.

"Why the heck does your mother want to leave tomorrow?" Zuko asked, pissed. He was standing with Shaiya on the deck of his ship looking out over the rail as the Avatar and Katara practiced waterbending behind him.

"Ya got me. Best I can figure, she's pissed that I've been sleeping in your bed with you. I could seriously not care less what she thinks. Though, if we do go to the fire nation, I'd like the rest of the Black Chaos Dragons to be there with me. That'd be cool. Only Ina's seen the fire nation." Shaiya replied.

"Well, maybe your mother won't mind if we stop, get them, and then go to the fire nation."

"Zuko, it's useless. Once my mother's mind is made up, only song can change it, which is exactly what I plan on using against her. I feel a need to say 'Mwahaha' but I will restrain myself."

"Good. I'll miss you, ya know." Zuko whispered.

"Pardon, I didn't catch that."

"I… I said I'll miss you." he struggled to get that out loud enough for her to hear him.

"I figured as much, since I'll miss you, too. I really don't want to go." Shaiya said, dropping her chin against her chest.

"What makes you say that?"

"You're a great friend. Everyone makes you out to be some power-hungryasshole like your father, but you're not. I'm glad I got to see the other side of you, Zuko." That hit Zuko hard. There was someone out there that liked him for who he was, not what his title said.

"Thanks. I'm glad I got to meet you, too, Shaiya." Zuko said, edging closer to her.

"Ya know, we've been together for a little over seven weeks now. It seems like just last week I kept that mob from killing you and your uncle." Zuko smiled inwardly. "And now, seven weeks later, I'm standing on the deck of your ship right beside you, headed for the fire nation. And yet, this will all be torn apart when I leave tomorrow." Shaiya sighed.

"I think we should go, Uncle will insist that we begin Music Night right after sunset."

"Yeah, okay." The two turned and headed for the galley for dinner.

As they entered, Arleon brought in some soup, bread, and rice, soon followed by three pots of tea, one ginseng, one jasmine, and one iced lemon. Everyone, Aang, Katara, Sokka, Zuko, Onya, Shaiya, Zuko, Meiya, and Iroh, immediately dug into their dinner.

Meiya decided once more to try and pry the truth out of her daughter as to why she wanted to stay with the prince. There was no ring on her finger, so he hadn't proposed. They hadn't had much alone time, minus nighttime.

"So, Shaiya, honey, why exactly do you want to stay? You haven't cleared that up for me, yet."

"Well, _mum_, it just so happens that I have fun on the ship. Jee is really quite funny, and Iroh presents a really good challenge. I have yet to beat him at Pai Sho."

Iroh smiled grandly at that statement.

"Arleon is a magnificent chef, much better that I'll ever be. The rest of the men have their perks, and there's so many of them it'd take me another two hours to explain. All of them are wonders with the instruments they play at Music Night. And don't even get me started on Iroh's shopping eye."

"And what about Zuko? You haven't said anything about him yet."

"Where do I begin? ...Mother, if you would really like to know this stuff, why do you ask me in public? We all know that Iroh and Onya are gossips, and so's Sokka. Could we just talk outside?" Shaiya asked.

"Why, are you afraid of Zuko finding something out?"

"No. Not a friggin' bit. I'm just a little secretive, and besides, Zuko already knows everything I'd be telling you." Shaiya was struggling terribly, and losing,to keep her cool.

"So, if Zuko already knows all this stuff, why don't you just tell me here?"

"BECAUSE IT'S MY CHOICE OF WHETHER OR NOT TO TELL YOU AT ALL!" Shaiya screamed, slamming her fists on the table and standing up, staring daggers at her mother.

"I never meant to offend you, honey. It's just my job to be investigative."

"That's a load of bull shit! Everyone knows that you're just living through me! You tried and failed at snagging Lord Ozai, and now you just want me to marry Zuko so you can kill us, along with everyone else in the royal family, and take the fucking _throne_! You're a perverted, insane, screwed up little Bitch! I'M ASHAMED TO EVEN BE RELATED TO YOU! The trouble you have caused me is monumental, and you haven't even bothered to apologize for a bit of it!"

"Since when have I caused you any trouble, honey?" Meiya asked sweetly and innocently.

"Where do I BEGIN? The start of the whole thing was when you decided to barge in on Zuko and me when we were sleeping! Yanking the covers off on a cold morning? What is your mental disability? Then, banning Zuko from his own room when I am in there. Nuts much! I could go on for hours, just to let you know."

"Well, I think I've heard enough. You like him, don't you?"

"I plead the 5th."

"You can't plead to be silent. Unless, of course you do like him?"

"Or, I don't want to hurt his pride by saying I don't. Oh look. Two opposite answers, both equally possible." Meiya and Shaiya were standing toe-to-toe now, breathing hard from yelling. Zuko looked as if he had just seen a ghost. His girlfriend had just suggested that she didn't like him. _That's just to counter her mother_ he told himself.

"Just because you've presented two possible, yet opposite, answers, doesn't mean that I've given up the fight. What about the time you kissed him that same morning that you claim started it all?"

"To keep you from killing the only person smart enough to end the damn war!"

"The fire nation should rule the entire world, don't even get me _started_ on why, either."

"You mean, just because fire lord Sozin was a power-hungry asshole war mongerer and his descendants were too goddang chicken to end the hundred-year-war!"

"No, because fire is the ultimate element, and why should we sit back when we could rule the entire world instead of the smallest island group on the planet!"

"You're really pissing me off, mother!"

"Oh, well, let me apologize for something I didn't do to keep my daughter from getting mad at me."

"You really want to see what mad is! Let me show you me when I get mad!"

* * *

**A/N:** Hahahahaha! Cliffie! I'm so friggin evil! Not. 

I'm just really sorry that it took me so long to get this up. I would've written more for this chapter, but I have a huge horse show I'm being forced to go to tomorrow, and I have to leave at 5:30 in the morning to go up to Prosper, Texas (north 20 miles of Keller) to be able to get there at 7 so all three girls can get their horses warmed up before the jumpers classes. Talk about a pain in the ass.

Sincerely,

Raaon Teisha ( insert smiley here )


	12. Last Few Hours Together

**Disclaimer:** I do not, have never, and probably never will own Avatar, no matter how much I wish I did. I wish I owned Zuko, and more importantly, I wish he were real. We'd get along great. Also, I don't own Martina McBride's song This One's For The Girls. I know it doesn't fit well with the chapter, but y'all will get over it.

**A/N:** I am SO sorry it took me so long to update. I would've updated sooner, but for the past two days, I've been battling this computer. It wouldn't let me download my chapter. I was pissed, needless to say. Also, if anyone has any fanart y'all wanna draw, just let me know. I'm trying to figure out how to get my own fanart up here without putting it on someone's website. That may not happen, of course. Also, I've found some super cool websites dedicated to Avatar. Check out my profile under the Avatar section and you'll find 'em there. AVATAR FANVIDS ROCK! Woo and hoo. Oh, yeah, I finally named chapter 5! It is now officially called 'Katara's Kidnapping'. Do ya approve?

Time to get down to business, so here ya go! Read on my friends!

* * *

Chapter XII: The Last Few Hours Together Must Be Cherished

Meiya grabbed her daughter by the wrists and threw her into the table.

"I've seen mad! You think I don't know mad!"

Shaiya got up quickly from the table, which cracked in two when she hit it.

"I know that you know mad! YOU ARE MAD! Insane is more like it! All you care about is yourself!"

Shaiya's mother began to turn a delicate shade of red she was so angry. She shot a stream of fire at her daughter, narrowly missing Zuko. All had risen quickly and backed into one wall.

"You just wait! We leave tomorrow, and there's nothing you can do about it! Not even song will work on me now I'm so pissed off at you Shaiya!"

"YEAH! I can't blame you for being pissed off! Bitch!"

Iroh had enough. He spoke up, attempting to break up the fight.

"Why don't you ladies finish this argument with an Agni Kai!" Mother and daughter looked at each other, panting, and nodded in agreement. "We will hold it tomorrow morning. Until then, neither of you two are allowed to say a single word to one another. Clear?" Again, both ladies nodded.

Shaiya mouthed 'See you tomorrow _mother_' and stormed off to Zuko's room, Zuko himself at her heels. Iroh stepped up to Meiya to attempt to calm her.

* * *

"Hey, Shaiya." Zuko spoke quietly as he entered. Shaiya was sitting on his bed, her head bowed, eyes closed, breathing hard. 

"Hey." she muttered. Zuko stepped up to her and sat beside her.

"Where did that come from?" he asked genially.

"Where do I start?" she replied jokingly with a question of her own.

"How's about why you got so… pissed, I guess, when your mother asked why you didn't want to leave."

"I'm not too good at expressing my emotions. I'm like you, better at expressing anger and frustration rather that friendship and care. I guess I'm like a rock. Tough and brittle yet soft and malleable." Zuko pulled Shaiya into a hug.

"Zuko, there's something you should know about me. Two things really." Shaiya didn't know how to tell him about her deepest, darkest secrets. So she decided to demonstrate one of the two-the easier to reveal.

She thrust her arms around his neck, jerked both herself and him down onto the bed, and pulled him into a deep and very emotional kiss. Her hair played out behind her head like a crown of reddish orange while his ponytail graced the crown of his head perfectly.

His lips sealed around hers and he licked her lips, requesting permission to enter. Quickly and obediently, she opened her mouth. Their tongues began to play as Zuko's hands worked their way through her hair. Shaiya found herself working at Zuko's armor to make it more comfortable for both. She pulled off his wrist guards, then his chest and shoulder plates. He kicked off his boots.

So he could remove the rest of his armor, he pulled away from Shaiya. He looked at her and began to say something, only to get cut off.

"Shaiya, I never-"

"Shut up and keep kissing me." Zuko grinned, pulled his hip guards off and allowed her to pull him back to her, much slower than she previously did. They broke apart moments later.

"What were you going to say again?" she asked him, his face hovering inches above her own.

"I was going to say that I never thought you had it in you to be that bold, that… forward." he whispered.

"You'd be amazed at what I can do, especially when I want to." she whispered back as she looked at him with a look mixed with longing and playfulness. Zuko just couldn't say no. Little did they know, they weren't the only ones on the ship that evening kissing.

* * *

After the outburst between Meiya and Shaiya, and after being reminded that tomorrow they were leaving, Onya brought it upon herself to make sure Sokka didn't forget who she was. 

After Zuko and Shaiya left for his room, and after Iroh and Meiya left for the deck to calm down, Onya seized the opportunity.

"Sokka, do you like me?" she asked suddenly.

"What? Oh, uh…I'm not sure." he stammered.

"Well, we should figure out whether you like me or not, now shouldn't we?" she asked in her most seductive manner. Sokka's cheeks began to redden and his eyes widened.

"What do you mean?" Onya began edging closer to Sokka.

"I mean, how much do you like me?" she asked, edging so close to him that their faces were inches apart.

"I…whu…uh…um." Sokka stammered again. Onya gently grasped his hands in hers and pulled him so close that their noses were a millimeter apart.

"Don't tell me you don't know what I mean." It dawned on Sokka that she was just as attracted to him as he was to her. In one swift movement, Sokka flung Onya to the side, held her by the mid back, and kissed her. Onya threw her arms around Sokka's neck and pulled him closer. Iroh just had to pick that moment to walk in.

"I knew it!" he yelled triumphantly. "I knew my nephew wasn't the only love-sick one on this ship!"

Both were scared out of their wits, and Sokka dropped Onya when Iroh said 'love-sick'.

"Now, what did you drop me for?" Onya yelled, slightly pissed at both men.

"Seriously Sokka, you of all people should know never to drop a woman. It is not only rude, but also demeaning for the man."

"But general, I…you surprised me."

"Well, maybe you two should try kissing in a more private place. Music Night starts in approximately two hours. Be ready." Iroh said as he left. Onya got up and looked at Sokka. She smiled. Sokka knew what that smile meant. He took her hand in his and led her to his room.

* * *

The two hours passed rather quickly. After kissing for about another thirty minutes, Zuko and Shaiya finally decided to go practice for an hour. That would leave them just a little bit of time to change into some cleaner clothes. Onya and Sokka weren't too keen on spending the entire night kissing, either, so they did the same. 

"'Send a flame kick at me next time' he says. Yeah, right. You knew you could block it. Lying, evil, cheating jerk!" Shaiya yelled, smiling.

"Oh yeah? Is that all you can say? Cause if it is, then can we get back to practicing?" Zuko replied.

"Sure." With that, Shaiya sent up a wall of flames around her to absorb Zuko's blows. Breaking the barrier between herself and the prince, she shot a wave of fire forward toward him. Zuko held the tips of his fingers together in front of him, causing the fire to break around him. As soon as that attack was blocked, Zuko slammed his foot against the steel deck, letting go a wave of fire not even Shaiya's wall could block. To avoid Zuko's attack, Shaiya performed a flawless round-off back hand spring, landing in her original spot.

Zuko, furious that she had avoided his fire, jump-somersaulted to gain some ground. He got close enough that the two engaged in physical close-range combat, tossing in a flaming fist every now and then. Just a couple minutes after they go close enough to fist fight, Sokka and Onya came above deck.

"What the hell are you doing?" Onya yelled from the door. She knew her friend and the fire prince had…fiery tempers, but she never saw them fight before.

"Just for fun, OK! No worries!" Shaiya yelled from where she was, pinned against the rail by Zuko's uber-muscular arms.

"Well, good thing to know that you guys aren't fighting for real. Training, I presume?" Onya called across deck.

"Yup!" Zuko answered. Shaiya threw him across deck with a fiery kick that hit him in the gut. As quick as physically possible, Zuko jumped up in barely enough time to dodge a jet of fire. At that time, Iroh and the rest of the crew walked above deck to be greeted by a beautiful sunset, two teens standing together, and two other teens…fighting? Training? What?

"May I ask what the HECK you two are up to?" Iroh yelled from the other side of the ship. When he walked out, Zuko had Shaiya pinned to the deck, and he was sprawled on top of her. As he yelled his intrusive comment, Shaiya thrust Zuko off of her and went for his shoulders in an attempt to pin him down. Zuko wasn't ready for her attack because he was beet red. Mostly because he had just been found on top of his girlfriend, although he _still _hadn't admitted to it, and they were fighting.

"Oh, um…Evening Iroh!" Shaiya yelled as she noticed the entire crew, Sokka, Onya, Katara, Aang, and Iroh staring at them.

"Are you willing to answer my question, kids?" he called from his position next to Onya.

"Um, we're just practicing. Is that okay, or does everyone have to object?"

"Oh, no, Shaiya, it's just that we were kinda expecting to begin Music Night. Your mother is sitting this one out, just to let you know."

Shaiya heaved a great sigh. Zuko stood and offered her his hand. She took it genially and he led her to where everyone else was gathered and setting up for that night's songs. Zuko pulled Shaiya's ear toward him and whispered something to her.

"I'm gonna skip out. I've gotta take a shower, if you don't mind."

"Yeah, okay." she whispered back. She headed to take a seat next to her best friend while Zuko headed below deck. Little did Zuko know, someone was waiting for him in the hallway that led to his room.

* * *

"I'll begin the night with a favorite song of mine called This One's For The Girls." Shaiya cleared her throat and began to sing. 

This for all you girls about thirteen  
High school can be so rough, can be so mean  
Hold on to onto your innocence  
Stand your ground when everybody's giving in

This One's For The Girls

This for all your girls about twenty-five  
In a little apartment just trying to get by  
Living on , on dreams and spaghetti o's  
Wondering when your life is gonna go

This Ones For The Girls  
Whose ever had a broken heart  
Whose wished upon a shooting star  
You're beautiful the way you are  
This Ones For The Girls  
Who love without holding back  
Who'd dream with everything they had  
All around the world  
This Ones For The Girls

This for all you girls about forty-two  
Tossing pennies into the fountain of youth  
Every laugh, laugh line on your face  
Made you who you are today

This Ones For The Girls  
Whose ever had a broken heart  
Whose wished upon a shooting star  
Your beautiful the way you are  
This Ones For The Girls  
Who love without holding back  
Who'd dream with everything they had  
All around the world  
This Ones For The Girls

Yeah, we're all the same inside (same inside)  
From 1 to 99

This One's For The Girls  
Whose ever had a broken heart  
Whose wished upon a shooting star  
You're beautiful the way you are  
This Ones For The Girls  
Who love without holding back  
Who dream with everything they had  
All around the world  
This Ones For The Girls  
Yeah this ones for the girls

Just as Shaiya finished her song, someone screamed. Shaiya had a clue as to what may've happened. Quickly, she darted up from her seat between Onya and Iroh and ran to Zuko's room where she found him lying on the floor, a pool of blood collecting from a wound in his shoulder. Meiya was standing just above him, hunched over, her lip bleeding, a bloody paring knife in one hand. Zuko's eyes were fluttering open and then they'd close again.

"MOTHER! WHAT'D YOU DO TO HIM?" Shaiya screamed at her mother.

"I just eliminated the problem." Meiya replied.

"No you didn't! You ARE the problem!" she screamed again, her eyes beginning to overflow, tears streaming down her face.

"Now, honey, you and I both know that Zuko is gonna stop the war. You and I both know that he'd just use you as a human brood mare. He's not worth your time. Now, if he were more like his father, then there'd be no problem, and yet, he is too nice. He's weak."

"YOU BIITCH! YOU EVIL, CRUEL, MURDERING BIITCH! You killed my baby!" Shaiya's eyes grew large at her own words. She had just admitted that she liked, no, loved the man lying at her mother's feet, bleeding steadily. Shaiya lunged at her mother.

She threw a steady jet of flames at her mother, causing her to fly back against the ship. Too weak to fight back, Meiya decided to act as if her daughter had knocked her out.

Shaiya, thinking she had knocked her mother out cold, ran up to Zuko and pressed two fingers against his neck. His pulse was fading, slowly but surely. Quickly, Shaiya slid her hands beneath Zuko's back and knees, picked him up, and she ran to the infirmary.

Shaiya reached the infirmary, set Zuko down on a bed as carefully and quickly as she could, and ran full speed up to the deck, the entire right side of her shirt covered in blood. Her baby's blood.

Shaiya burst through the doorway and ran smack into Sokka.

Iroh took one look at her and nearly died of shock. "What happened?" he yelled.

"My mother…paring knife…Zuko…bleeding…infirmary." was all Shaiya managed to get out before she erupted in a fit of coughing. Sokka and Onya took Shaiya by the arms while the doctor ran to the infirmary to treat his patient.

* * *

**A/N:** Hey, y'all! So, what'd you think? Do I still got that spunk as a writer that I had in my other eleven chapters? Hope I do. Don't forget, I still need someone who knows German! I'm also starting a new story soon that will be posted later this week, I hope. It will be called Star Fire, and everything you need to know about it as of now is under my Stories section on my profile. Hope y'all like it! TTYL! 

Sincerely, your loyal fanfic writer,

**_Raaon Teisha (a.k.a. Rhinestone Cowgirl)_**


	13. Truth And A Problem

**A/N:** This chapter is relatively short, and I'm gonna start posting my disclaimers at the beginning and my author notes at the end.

**Disclaimer:** This is for all you evil lawyer hordes out there: I SERIOUSLY WISH I OWNED AVATAR! And yet, sadly, I do not. And now, I shall slink into my room, which incidently my parentals own, and bawl. Goodbye. And don't forget to review!

* * *

Chapter XIII: Truth And A Problem

Two hours later, Shaiya was sitting on the right of Zuko's bed, Iroh on the left. Shaiya was crying silently, grasping Zuko's hand for dear life. Iroh was looking sadly down at his nephew. Zuko hadn't stirred once since his arrival in the infirmary. Everyone was worried. Only one person was not in there. Meiya.

Shaiya had completely forgotten about her mother. Meiya had only pretended to be knocked out by her daughter anyway.

* * *

At that very moment, Meiya was in Shaiya's room packing all her stuff. Meiya had said that they were going to leave the next day. She had forgotten the Agni Kai with her daughter that was scheduled. Instead, she would just tie both girls to their sujios when they were still sleeping and take off before anyone could object. 

Meiya had packed everything of her daughter's in her duffle bag and headed to start on Onya's stuff. Little did Meiya know, Shaiya had prepared for this night. She had slipped her diary under Zuko's pillow. Meiya didn't even know her daughter had a diary, much less would do something like that.

Twenty minutes later, Meiya finished with the two teens' stuff. She moved as quietly as she could down to the livestock hold. There, she found her tan and white sujio, Ispilan, Shaiya's black and grey sujio, Kagouya, and Onya's red and white sujio, Vei. Quickly, Meiya set down all the bags, hers, her daughter's and her daughter's friend's bags. She ran back up to her room where she had two pieces of white cloth and two long lengths of rope waiting for her. It was now almost four and a half hours past sunset, and the crew, along with Onya, the Avatar, and his friends, were all asleep. Only Shaiya and Iroh weren't asleep. Meiya knew just how to lure her daughter out of the infirmary, too. She'd just have to get the sujios to start acting up.

She had already decided how to get Onya, so she did that first. It would be easier for her to tackle the easier obstacle first. Quietly, Meiya slipped into Sokka's room. Just as she suspected, Onya was sleeping with him. Luckily, Sokka was sprawled across the bed and Onya was sleeping on the floor, having been pushed off. Gently so as not to disturb her captive, Meiya picked Onya up bridal style and carried her down to the livestock hold.

She tied her up quickly and moved to get a commotion started. Meiya picked up a bullwhip Onya used frequently when she would warm her beast up before a good fly. Meiya held the handle above her head, jerked it down and then up with all her might, causing it to crack loudly, loud enough to wake Onya and scare the sujios, but not loud enough to reverberate through the ship the way the sujios' hooves did when they reared or landed.

* * *

Shaiya and Iroh were sitting beside Zuko's bed, drifting in and out of sleep. All of a sudden, the familiar boom of the sujios acting up again flew through the ship. It wasn't loud enough to wake everyone, just rouse Shaiya and Iroh from their humble slumber. 

"I'll handle this, then I think I'll retire for the night." Shaiya yawned as she left the infirmary. She had a sneaking suspicion of what was going on. She just hoped she was all too wrong.

As she entered the infirmary, she heard a grunt, then she saw a shadow slink past her. She turned around only to get knocked out cold by her very own mother. Quickly, Meiya bound her hands behind her back and gagged her. She had saddled all three sujios previous to cracking the bullwhip, so they were ready to be mounted. Onya tried to warn her friend, but to no avail. Shaiya was thrown atop her mount and tied so she wouldn't fall off in mid air, again. Meiya did the same with Onya, but she fought back because she was conscious, unlike her best friend. After getting the two unruly teens tied to their mounts and the two sujios' headstalls tied to the horn of her own saddle, Meiya drug all three beasts to the deck and took off for Shiroh Nagiyan. Her home.

* * *

A couple minutes after Meiya had left secretly, Zuko began to stir. 

"Ugh." he mumbled. Iroh had began to doze again, and he didn't notice his nephew move.

"Uncle." Zuko mumbled again. This time, Iroh stirred.

"Prince Zuko! You're okay!" Iroh said excitedly.

"Where's Shaiya?" Zuko asked, sitting up.

"She retired to bed near twenty minutes ago. Why?"

"Just asking."

"Prince Zuko, do tell me what happened." Iroh asked.

"I remember Shaiya's mother sneaking up on me in my room. I sat down to meditate, and then she just burst in there yelling something in German. I didn't have time to try to translate, so I'm in the dark. I also remember her lunging at me with a paring knife. Then she yelled something in English. I think it was 'You're gonna die for doing what you did to my daughter's mind!', but I could be wrong. Then she stabbed me in the shoulder, and I hit my head on my meditation table. I blacked out right after I heard Shaiya yell you biz-snitch. You evil, cruel, murdering biz-snitch. You killed my baby. She called me her…baby. I find that kinda weird."

"Well, obviously, she is harboring feelings for you, Prince Zuko. You should talk to her in the morning. Now, you need some sleep, as do I. Let me help you to your room, or at least escort you there, in case Meiya should try something like that again." Zuko nodded as his uncle got up out of his chair beside the bed Zuko was lying in. Iroh helped Zuko to his room where they saw the pool of blood on the ground.

"I will clean this up in the morning. Now, sleep Prince Zuko." Iroh said as he left. Zuko didn't bother to change into his night pants, he just flopped down on his bed. As he laid his head on his pillow, he noticed an abnormal lump there in the middle. He reached under to find Shaiya's diary and a letter addressed to him. He opened it and began to read:

_Dearest Zuko,_

_Chances are, if you're reading this, my mother has made an attempt at either your life or an attempt at getting us to split up. I just want you to know that after she tries the above mentioned, and if she fails, she will 'kidnap' Onya and me and take us with her somewhere. Chances are, it won't be Shiroh Nagiyan. If she does, Zuko, I do not want you to follow us. It would be safer and better for all if you regained your honor first. Then, seeing as my mother is a loyal Fire Nation citizen, she will not object to you returning for me. She has tried to live through me. At first, she was all for you and I, and now she is turning against that because she thinks you are soft, like what your father thinks of you. Don't let it get to you. You are one of the strongest people I have ever met, and very possibly, the nicest. I know that you may have your bad days, but we all do. I can live with that. I can't, however, live without you. I will come to the Fire Nation as soon as you regain the throne. Then we can see more of each other. Remember, we are friends till the end. I never thought I'd say this, but I hope my mother gives up on us. I hope she will realize that no matter what she does, she won't be able to tear us apart. Only Onya has been as good a friend as you have. I love you like you're my very own brother, Zuko, and I will miss you dearly. Do as I say, and do not follow me. Regain your honor, throne and country first, then come for me, or I shall return to see you again. See you soon._

_Love always,_

_Shaiya_

_P.S. I left you my diary because I would like for you to see just how much you have impacted my last seven weeks aboard this ship. Take no offense and do not feel guilty for reading this, for I mean for you to. And remember, we are friends till the end._

That letter tore at Zuko's heart. His uncle was right. And so, he lit every candle in his room and opened her diary to the first page. It was dated seven weeks ago. The day they met.

_Wow, I have a diary. Last I had one, I was eight. Couldn't keep up with it for more that a day or two at a time. Hope I'll have better luck this time._

_Not much happened today, other than the Fire Prince and his uncle, the Dragon of the West, coming to our…dock, I guess. I got to meet them. They are cracked up to be evil tyrants, but they are actually really nice. The Prince is a little stuck up, though cute as ever. General Iroh is very kind, and a little too preoccupied with his tea. Ah, well, so was Daddy. They are staying with us tonight. I'm about to go have dinner with them. And then I think I'll challenge Onya to an arm wrestling match. Love much,_

_Shai_

Zuko flipped past a few pages of sketches to the next entry, that fateful night they caught the Avatar.

_Dear Diary,_

_Today, Zuko finally caught the Avatar. Yay for him. Although I'm sure Mom would say something like 'What took him so effin long!'. Well, screw her. Also, I am getting ready to take Kagouya on her midnight flight. We haven't done that in a while. I just hope I don't wake the crew. They've had a hard day. Along with capturing the Avatar, we met Zhao. What a jack-donkey. And he looks like a friggin monkey! I can't get over that._

Zuko smiled when he read that. He agreed.

_Well, Ta Ta For Now!_

_Shai_

More drawings, one of Zuko training, one of Zuko discussing and planning the next route to take, and one of Zuko and Shaiya, and written under it was _If only he could see in himself what I see in him._ Zuko thought of what that meant. Did she think of him as more than a scarred teenage boy with no home? Did she think of him as an attractive young man with something to offer? Maybe she did. Zuko flipped to the next entry.

_Dear Diary,_

_Well, I've managed to keep up with this for a good while. Must be because I'm older now. Anyway, Zhao and I have met in battle officially now. He hurt that waterbender girl, I think her name is Katarina or possibly Katara. I don't know. But either way, he broke her wrists. He is such an evil jack-donkey bastard. I will kill him. No ifs, ands, or buts about it._

_Zuko is absolutely adorable. And he's a wonderful friend. He's giving Onya a run for her money. He can have his moments, but so can I. I was watching him training a couple days ago, and, man, he has got a great physique! And a six-pack! Gosh, I'd love to get my hands on him. I have one word to describe him. YUM! Love much,_

_Shai_

So, she thought he was attractive. It was true, he did have girls follow him occasionally, but they backed off quickly. The sun began to show through the small porthole in his room. He decided to go up and tell everyone of the loss.

* * *

**A/N:** I know this is a short chapter, but I had to get it up. Don't sue me. (**Evil lawyer hordes begin to advance**) Bring it on suckas! (**Begins to brandish replica of LotR's Aragorn's sword**) Come and get me! (**Evil lawyer hordes retreat**) Hahaha! Well, now that that's been taken care of, I've began a new story, and it is taking up all my time. Well, sorta. Let's just say that there's one particular part of this story that I have decided to end it at, and that will be around the 16th chapter, so this story is coming to an end. My new story is called Star Fire, and I have only one chapter up on it, but I will try to update both today. Lots of time. TTFN! 

_Rhinestone Cowgirl a.k.a.Raaon Teisha_

_;D_


	14. Dreaming of Independence

**Disclaimer:** Howdy podners! I hope y'all get the jist that I don' own Avatar haer. All I own is this absolutely kickin' plot laine.

And yes, everything up above is spelled that way on purpose. It's my Texan accent kicking in.

* * *

**Chapter XIV: Dreaming of Independence**

"You're evil, mother!" Shaiya yelled at her mother while Meiya threw Onya and Shaiya in a prison cell.

"Well, that is expected. And deary, even though you are sixteen, I still have control over you. And I will, until a man proposes to you. That'll be the day."

"Oh, yeah, it will! The day I'm free from you! Bitch!" Meiya smirked at her daughter. She had made sure that the dirtiest, darkest, dankest, dampest cell was reserved for her daughter and friend. She didn't want them getting in the way of her beloved Zhao and his plans. Just as that thought crossed her mind, Zhao came up behind her.

"Good afternoon, milady." he purred. Meiya giggled while the girls gagged.

"Hello, Admiral." Meiya replied.

"I have a question for you, Lady Meiya."

"Okay, let's hear it." Meiya answered as she turned to face Zhao. He reached into a little pouch on his belt, pulled something out of it, hidden by his fist, and knelt in front of her.

"Lady Meiya, will you honor me by becoming my wife?" he asked, his voice a liquid purr.

Meiya's eyes widened. "Oh, Zhao! I'd be honored!" she yelled as Zhao stood. Shaiya and Onya gagged again. _What a perfect couple._ Shaiya thought. Meiya threw herself upon Zhao. He smiled as he took her right hand and the gold-banded red ruby ring he had bought her and placed the ring on her ring finger. She smiled and kissed him severely.

* * *

Zuko headed down to the galley, his head hung, clutching the letter from Shaiya. He looked like a little boy who had just got caught doing something he knew was wrong. She was one of his greatest friends, and one of his only friends. He decided to try and remember all his boyhood companions. His cousin, Sotto, Ton, Chasta, and Haleini. That was all. Many of the royal kids didn't like him, his attitude, or his father. Only General Vista's son and daughters would play with him. Sotto seemed to be the only one who liked him for the person he was back then. And then Sotto was mauled by a tiger-pit bull cross. And two weeks before his banishment, General Vista, Ton, Chasta, and Haleini moved to the southern part of the Fire Nation. He never saw them again. He was heartbroken. 

And now, it happened again. Except this one hit much closer to home. He had kissed this girl, he had slept with this girl, he even liked this girl. And she liked him. He debated falling into a dark hole of depression. But he knew he couldn't. She was counting on him for saving the world from his asshole father. And he would.

Zuko walked into the galley, his head still hung. Sokka, Katara, Aang, and Iroh were already seated, deep in conversation. Iroh looked at his nephew's sullen figure.

"What's wrong, Prince Zuko?" he asked.

"This." Zuko said as he sat down at the head of the table. Iroh took the letter from his nephew and read it aloud. He didn't read the postscript however. He felt it better that the other three didn't know.

Katara broke the silence that followed Iroh reading the letter.

"Oh, Zuko. I'm so sorry." she whispered. Zuko nodded. He looked at his food when the chef put it down in front of him. It was Sokka's turn to speak.

"Hey, Zuko. I kinda know what you're going through." Zuko looked up at him when he said this.

"Onya and I were real close, too. If it makes you feel any better, you're not the only one suffering. I am, too." Zuko returned his gaze to his breakfast. A silent tear crept its way down Zuko's cheek. Everyone saw. Zuko stood and left, declaring he wasn't hungry.

"Oh, Iroh, will Zuko be okay? Will he even be able to help us defeat Ozai?" Katara asked.

"Dear girl, I do not know. I may be old and I may have lots of experience, but I do not know. My nephew is a complicated young man, and I do not know if he will pull through this. Shaiya was his first true friend since he was banished. And now he loses her, just like all four of his other friends."

"He had four friends? But he's a prince! Shouldn't he have more friends than he does hairs on his head!" Aang burst out suddenly. Everyone looked in his direction.

"I mean, I didn't think anyone could have so few friends. It seems…impossible." Aang finished off.

"Maybe I should go talk to him. I know where he's coming from." Katara said as she got up and left before anyone could tell her otherwise.

She walked on deck where Zuko was watching the sun rise. Or so it appeared. Instead, he was crying. He heard Katara's footsteps on the deck and quickly wiped them away, closing his eyes.

"Zuko?" Katara said as she reached him.

"What do you want?" he asked, rather sourly, as she approached, turning his head.

"I want to talk."

"What do you know! You can't help. Nothing can." he whispered. Another tear cut a path down his cheek.

"I can help. You don't want me to, but I can. Just give me a chance, Zuko. Please." Katara pleaded.

"Fine, you've got five minutes." he muttered, his eyes still closed.

"I know what it feels like to have someone really close to you leave. Or in my case, get left behind. When I left to help Aang, the only person I really knew was my brother, Sokka. I didn't even have a crew to yell at, like you do. I had to leave my entire village to help Aang. Then, when we got to the Northern Water Tribe, I had a chance to stay, but I didn't. I went with Aang and Sokka. I met lots of people there, lots of very nice, caring people that would've gladly taken me in, and I left them for the better cause. Zuko, just give it time, and you'll see her again. I promise." Katara said as she laid a hand on his shoulder.

Much to her surprise, he didn't jerk his shoulder away from her and say something rude, instead he collapsed into her arms, sobbing.

"It - It's just - not fair! Why did - it have to - be her? Why!" he sobbed into her shoulder. Katara cradled Zuko in her arms as she shushed him softly, her motherly instincts kicking in.

"Zuko, I promise you'll see her again. And when I make a promise, I intend to keep it." she finished.

Iroh walked on deck. He saw his nephew sobbing in Katara's arms, both kneeling on the ground. He smiled. _I'll leave my nephew in her capable hands, then._ he thought as he turned back to the galley to finish his breakfast.

* * *

Shaiya couldn't tell what time it was, but her internal clock told her it was reaching midday. _Oh, joy. More mush that I'm gonna gag on._ She smiled to herself as she thought of an escape plan. She decided to rouse Onya. 

"Hey, ON! Wake up, idiot!" Shaiya yelled to her friend.

"Ugheck." Onya grumbled.

"Doofus, wake up. We got plans to go over." she whispered. Onya looked at her and both smiled evilly.

"Okay. We need, first, to figure out how to get out of this hellish place. I can't stand the smell." Shaiya smiled at her friend. She then introduced her plan.

"Well, I was thinking, since the guards unlock us so we can eat, we need to wait until we get food. Then, when they unlock us, we jump 'em and knock them out and take their armor. How is it so far?" Shaiya asked. Onya nodded, so she continued. "Well, after that, we put them in our clothes, providing they fit in our clothes, and then we put on their uniforms. We lock them up and we leave 'em here."

"That's pretty good, but what about if, instead of us walking out there in broad daylight, we wait until they bring that crap they call dinner for us, then we knock 'em out. And instead of leaving right then, we wait until near midnight, or until most of the guards head for bed. Hey, that rhymed."

"Moron, focus!" Shaiya scolded her friend.

"Sorry. Anyway, we could make our escape using the cover of night. Whadda ya think?"

"I like it. So, we're gonna do that, and if that fails, just run for the pens, grab K and V and we take off."

"Yup. Wait, I forgot K and V in my plans. I'm an idiot, Shai." Onya said, smiling.

"No comment, pal-o-mine." Shaiya said. The guards came with their lunch, or whatever it was. The girls were unlocked, and they ate the bowl of whatever it was they were brought in peace. _Just wait until tonight, you fools._ Onya thought silently.

* * *

Zuko finally quit his sobbing. He sniffled once and looked up at Katara, his cheeks stained with tears. 

"Th - thanks. I - needed that." he said between sniffles. She smiled. Katara stood up and offered a hand to Zuko. He took it and pulled himself up. For the first time in a long time, Zuko smiled a real genuine smile, one that he meant.

"Are you going to be okay for a while?" Katara asked.

"Yeah. I think I'm going to head down to my room for a while. I'll come up later, maybe."

"Zuko, you can't brood the entire time. And your uncle is tiring. He's been teaching Aang firebending, and I don't think he can handle much more. Please consider trying, for the better cause. I'm sure Shaiya would approve." Katara said. Zuko turned his head away, toward the west. He crossed his arms.

"I guess I could give it a shot. For Shaiya." he stated matter-of-factly and headed for his room to finish reading her diary.

* * *

**A/N:** Not much to say in this author note, other than the following: 

a) I WON CHAMPION AT THE JUNIOR LIVESTOCK SHOW! I beat...about 20 people, well, me and my horse, and I have a VERY cool buckle to show for it.

b) I'm very sorry it took so long to update. I was gonna add more, but I decided to leave it here. Hope you like!

c) POLL TIME! Woohoo! Answer in your reviews, if you please!

Who do you like best? (guys are who you choose from)

a) Zuko

b) Sokka

c) Aang

d) Jet

e) Haru

f) King Bumi

And now, to close my story. I hope you all weren't mortally disappointed in this chapter. I wrote it all yesterday.

_Love always,_

_Raaon Teisha a.k.a. Rhinestone Cowgirl_

_;D_


	15. Kennen Sie Dein Feind

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. If I did, Zuko wouldn't have had to cut off his (sexy) ponytail. It's gonna take me foreva to get used to that change. (sniffles) I'm gonna miss that ponytail.

I know I said no more author notes at the beginning of chapters, BUT! First off, I just need to say that this chapter is dedicated to Anja Summers. Without her knowledge of my fave foreign language, German, this chappie wouldn't have been possible. Also, anyone who can tell me what the chapter title means... you get the next chapter dedication! FYI, it's in German.

* * *

Chapter XV: Kennen Sie Dein Feind

When Zuko entered his room, he found her diary laying open on his bed, just the way he left it. He picked it up and sat down on his bed. He flipped to some more sketches. One was of the fight between Shaiya and Zhao, in excruciating detail. It showed Shaiya in her pants and a very tight, bra-like camisole, while Zhao was in his full Fire Nation armor. Shaiya was bloody and bruised in some spots while Zhao was barely breaking a sweat.

The next picture was one of a man Zuko semi-recognized. Below it was another entry.

_Dear Diary,_

_I'm still surprised I've kept this sucker as long as I have. I miss my father greatly. If only he were still alive. He would've roasted Zhao for what he tried to do to me. I hate him so much. He tried to rape me. I'm gonna kill him. Stab a dagger right between his eyes. And I have Zuko to thank for getting me out of there before Monkey Face got me pregnant. Zuko's so nice when he wants to be. Every time he looks at me, I feel as if I'm on cloud nine. I sincerely hope this isn't another childhood crush. 'Course, I'm not a child. So maybe this is more. Maybe it means more. All I know is that now, I can trust Zuko. He's definitely giving Onya a run for her money. Oh, how I wish he would just wake up from his trance and see in himself what I see in him. All he is is a Concrete Angel. A breathtakingly gorgeous Concrete Angel. Giggles! I can't say much more. I've said what I needed to say. Zuko is definitely the best (male) friend I've ever had. Next to my daddy, o'course. No one will ever be able to surpass my dad. Not even Onya. Oh, Zuko. If only you weren't blind to the world. I need to tell Zuko my secrets. Both of them. But first, I gotta figure out if my first is actually true. And if Zuko feels the way I do. I think I'll wait a while, and then reveal it to him. As for my other secret, only time will tell._

_Love much,_

_Shai_

What were these mysterious secrets she kept talking about? Zuko already knew one, but what of the other? Zuko flipped to the next entry, which was in German.

Lieber Tagebuch,

Zuko hat mich gefragen, in seines Zimmer su schlafen! Ich bin verzückt! Traurig war es der Machen seines Onkels. Deshalb hat er es freiwillig nicht gemacht. Ich gewinne langsam meiner Kraft weider. Dankbar, nur wissen Iroh und Zuko wie Deutsch zu lesen. Auβer meiner Mutter. Ich berfürchte dass sie eine Drehung für das Schlimmste nimmt. Zuko hat mir erzählt dass sie war nicht, als warm zu ihm heute, als sie gewöhnlich ist. Deshalb sorgt es sich mich. Ich kann nicht glauben dass ich dies sage, aber Zuko hat tatsächlich mich erschroken. Ich habe nie gedacht dass er so rachsüchtig Zhao wäre. In was er mir Bett erzählt hat, das zuerst Nacht, etwas entnervte. Und noch tröstend gleichzeitig. Ich werde ihn verpassen, wenn ich je verlasse. Er ist so gut zu mir. Ich sehe nicht warum er so mittel zu jedem sonst ist. Er handelt als ween er nie war dass zunächst bedeutet, wenn er um mich ist. Seines Vater hat ihn gedreht in was er heute ist. Ich hasse Ozai. Er es fast ebenso schlect also Wagenheberesel. Wagenheberesel is ein geverderbter Admiral der genieβt, vergewaltigend junge Mädchen. Ach ja! Ich werde sich anders leicht besinner. Wenn ich ihn töte. Er wird je versuchend bedauern mich zu vergewaltigen.  
I weiβ nicht warum ich diesen Zugang auf Deutsch geschrieben habe. Na ja.  
Alles Lieben,

Shai

* * *

"We need to find a way to rescue Shaiya and Onya. I know Zuko won't let me leave, but maybe he'll let you and Sokka leave." Aang said, tossing ideas around the table, mainly to Katara.

"Aang, just leave it be. You heard the letter she wrote. She clearly said not to try to find her, or Onya, and Sokka, I know how much it pains you to see Onya taken away from you, just like it pained you to see Yue taken away from you, but you have to let it BE! Shaiya made it perfectly clear that she didn't want to be followed. JUST LEAVE IT BE!" Katara shouted. She was getting fed up with the plans her friends were attempting to concoct. She knew they wouldn't work. She just had to get it through their thick skulls that the two fire benders would be okay.

"Well, Katara, I think we should go after them. Shaiya said _Zuko_ shouldn't try to save them, she never made any mention about any of us!" Sokka shouted.

"Sokka! Get this through your thick skull! No one is going after Shaiya and Onya! Shaiya said she didn't want _anyone_ to go after them! No one! Now will you _please_ get a grip!" Katara yelled again.

"**ENOUGH!**" Iroh shouted. He was getting aggravated by all the yelling.

"Iroh, what do you think we should do?" Aang asked.

"I think we should leave it be. Shaiya said no one should follow her, so no one will. End of discussion." he said, gritting his teeth, finalizing his statement and leaving the galley.

"Well, that was helpful." Sokka mused.

"Sokka." Katara said.

"Yeah."

"Get a grip."

* * *

Shaiya and Onya were calmly waiting for dinner, running through their plan in their heads. They knew what they were gonna do.

When the guards unchained them, they would eat their dinner peacefully. When the guards went to chain them back up, they would knock the guards out cold. Then, they'd steal the guards' armor, put it on over their clothes, chain the guards up, and casually head out to the stockyard. There, they would tack up and fly off on their sujios and no one would notice until the girls actually did fly off. For they knew one thing: the guards that brought them their food were also the ones that exercised the sujios, for fear the sujios would tear down the barn. So, the girls not only had the element of surprise on their side, but they also knew their enemy's duties.

"Alright, you two. Wake up. Time for dinner." The monotonous voice of one of the guards flowed easily through the cell and to the girls. Shaiya smiled inwardly. Onya, however, didn't conceal her smile.

"What're you so smilie about?" one of the guards spat. Onya quickly wiped the smile off her features.

"Answer me, whore!" he shouted again. This time, Onya lashed out.

"How dare you call me a whore! Bastard!" she yelled. The guard came up and slapped her hard across the face.

"Oh! How dare you hit me! Where's your respect for the superior sex? HUH! Have you no respect?"

"I'll have you know that a) women aren't the superior sex, men are, and b) I don't have to show respect to prisoners." He said, his face mere inches from her own.

"Bite me." she retorted.

"Tempting offer, but I'll have to decline. Bitch."

"Jack-ass!"

"Slut!"

"Crazy fire freak!"

"Why you little…ack! I'm all out of names."

"Serves you right for dissing my BFF!" Shaiya yelled.

"NOW!" Onya yelled. Both girls grabbed the guard nearest them by the head with their feet. They flipped them over, causing them to land on their heads, knocking them out easily. The keys fell to the floor beside Shaiya's feet.

"Thank goodness for curl toed shoes!" Shaiya said as she picked the keys up. She easily flicked them up and into her hands. Swiftly, she unlocked her and Onya's shackles. The girls changed into the armor of the guards, locked the guards up and headed to the stockyard to make their escape.

As they got there, their sujios began to fuss and fidget.

"Whoa. Easy girls." Shaiya cooed to her beasts. They calmed upon hearing her voice.

"Well, at least they remember us, after…how long?" Shaiya asked.

"Um, slight over a day."

"Oh. Not as long as I thought. C'mon. Let's ride." Shaiya said as she grabbed the tack for her sujio. Both girls tacked up their sujios in silence. Then, as they were about to mount and leave, they heard a voice.

"Hey! You there! Halt!"

"Oh, snap. We've been busted." whispered Onya.

"Yup. Let's ride." Shaiya said. Onya nodded, the two girls ditched all the armor they could and kicked their sujios into a run. Then, as the guards began to shoot fireballs at them, they took off into the air.

"WE ARE THE SUPERIOR SEX! BOO-YA!" Onya yelled over her shoulder.

"Well, we're off. Do you think Zuko got that letter I wrote him?" Shaiya asked.

"Let's hope. And now, we're homeward bound. Just in case we get a letter from the Fire lord asking us to do some really random deed for him, we'll be ready. And, then you'll kill him. How do you plan to kill him, Shai?"

"Uh…dunno. Never thought about that. Maybe I should give it some thought."

"Yeah. Have a plan. And some backup plans."

"Onya, you know me. I am always prepared. Hey, maybe he'll throw a ball in honor of his son's return. Then, we'll have to go. Just so we can crash it." Shaiya said as she began to cackle evilly. Onya proceeded to do the same. And on the girls flew, contemplating what they would do when they got home, for they had gotten out sooner than they had anticipated.

* * *

Zuko was sitting in his room looking at another picture Shaiya drew. It depicted the two of them training once. Everyone else had come out to begin Music Night, and he was training with Shaiya, but everyone else had come out at the wrong time. At the moment, Zuko was lying spread-eagle on top of Shaiya with her hands pinned down above her head, their faces inches apart.

Then there was another. This one showed Zuko lying on one of the beds in the infirmary. His uncle was sitting on one side, Shaiya was on the other, holding his hand and crying silently. _Must've been the night her crazed mother tried to kill me. The biz-snitch._ he thought. The more he read her diary and the more he looked at all her sketches, the more he missed her. He flipped to her last entry.

_Dear Diary,_

_This entry is gonna be about lots of random stuff. Like my fetish bear Onya won't give back! She is a really cool person, but when she steals your favorite stuffed teddy bear, it's WAR! I miss Fetish. Why'd I call him Fetish? Good question. Anywho. I have decided to leave this diary to Zuko. I have a sinking feeling that mama is gonna try something funny tonight or tomorrow night. Chances are, it'll be tonight. Well, I'm gonna go eat, then it's off to practice with Zuko a little, then…da da dum! Music Night! Yay! Ooh, man. If mama succeeds in taking me from this ship, I'm really gonna miss the crew and all at Music Night. But most of all, I'm gonna miss Zuko. I definitely know I like him as more than a friend, but I don't know if he feels the same way I do. Well, I'll just have to find out. Tonight. Tonight, I will find out. But for now, my stomach is seriously talking to me. I think I'm gonna go eat. Love much,_

_Shai_

_P.S. Zuko, if you read this, just remember everything I ever said about you in here. Not just the fact that I think you're gorgeous, but also the fact that even though you put on some tough-guy mask, I have seen right through it. Behind the tough façade, you're almost everything a normal girl could want. Newsflash! I ain't normal! You're all that and more. Goodness, what's wrong with me? I'm practically spilling my guts to a guy I've known for what… seven weeks! AAAAHHHH! Not good. Oh well. Too late now, everything's in ink, so unless I wanna start all over again, it's permanent. Permanent! Long P.S. End now._

Zuko smiled at Shaiya's final entry. He began to wish he knew where they were and how they were doing. He decided that, since he had read every entry, which, amazingly, weren't very many, he'd meditate for a while.

He went over to his meditation table, lit the candles with a flick of his wrist, and sat down.

* * *

Shaiya and Onya had just landed back at Shiroh Nagiyan. They had just gotten home when a couple of the Black Chaos Dragons came to their door. Upon answering it, the girls were blindfolded and drug all the way to the Bleeding Pig Pub.

The moment they walked into the pub, their blindfolds were pulled off and everyone yelled "Welcome Back Dragons!"

"Oh, guys! This is so awesome of you. I'm so sorry we couldn't get home sooner, but duty called, again." Shaiya answered. Then, one very handsome young man of the age 17 walked up to Shaiya, a ring hidden behind his back.

"Welcome back, babe." he said.

"Hey, Nalif. Long time, no see. What's up?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing. I was just waiting for you to return. I have something to ask you."

"Okay. Ask." Nalif knelt in front of her and showed her a beautiful silver ring with an amethyst stone set in the middle.

"Shaiya, will you marry me?" he asked.

* * *

OOOH! Will Shaiya marry Nalif? Will you forgive me for the shortness of the chapter and the length of the wait? We'll all have to wait and see!

Here's the translation for the diary entry Shaiya wrote in German:

Dear Diary,

Zuko asked me to sleep in his room! I'm ecstatic! Sadly, it was his uncle's doing. So, he didn't do it voluntarily. I'm slowing regaining my strength. Thankfully, only Iroh and Zuko know how to read German. Aside from my mama. I fear she's taking a turn for the worst. Zuko told me that she wasn't being as warm to him today as she usually is. So it's worrying me. I can't believe I'm saying this, but Zuko actually scared me. I never thought he'd be so revengeful towards Zhao. What he told me in bed that first night was slightly unnerving. And yet comforting at the same time. I'm gonna miss him, if I ever leave. He's so good to me. I don't see why he is so mean to everyone else. He acts as id he was never that mean to begin with when he is around me. His father turned him into what he is today. I hate Ozai. He's almost as bad as Jack-donkey. Jack-donkey is a perverted admiral who enjoys raping young girls. Oh yes! I'm gonna change his mind easily. When I kill him. He's gonna regret ever trying to rape me.  
I don't know why I wrote this entry in German. Oh well.

Much Love,

Shai

Anywho, now that that's cleared up, I need more votes on my poll!

Who do you like best? (guys are who you choose from)

a) Zuko. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2 votes)

b) Sokka. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0 votes)

c) Aang. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1 vote)

d) Jet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0 votes)

e) Haru. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0 votes)

f) King Bumi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1 vote)

Please! If you haven't answered yet, do answer!

Also, gossip time. Can you believe Zuko cut off his ponytail! I am so sad now. I can't wait until the next episode. You can already see the Kataang blossoming. I am stuck on the Kataang and SokkaxSuki. I hope Zuko will end up with his sister and father's heads hung above... some place, and a very nice little girl of his own. I'd make a wonderful wife for him! Such a shame I'm only 13. Oh well.

_Love from your loyal fanfic writer,_

_Raaon Teisha a.k.a. Rhinestone Cowgirl a.k.a. the insane smilie face!_

_;D_


	16. Secrets Revealed

**A/N:** Hey peeps! I am so sorry I didn't update sooner! I was trying to find a way to make Avatar mine. No such luck. I still only own Shaiya, Onya, Nalif, the kiwikania and the sujios. Oh, and the memory in here. Just keep reading and you'll figure it out. Here's the long-anticipated story!

* * *

Chapter XVI: Secrets Revealed

Recap:

"Shaiya, will you marry me?" Nalif asked as he knelt in front of her, showing her a beautiful silver ring with an amethyst stone set in the middle.

000000000000000000000000000000

"Oh… uh, oh shitake. Look, Nalif. I don't mean to hurt you, but my heart belongs to another."

"Oh. I see now. I'll just be going." Nalif said sullenly as he left Shaiya standing in her own puddle of guilt.

"Well now, that went well. NOT!" she yelled to herself.

"What'd you do now?" Onya asked her.

"Nalif just proposed to me, and I not-too-kindly stood him up. And ya know what! He's the kinda guy to seek revenge. Crapootika!"

"Crapootika?"

"Impulse curse substitute."

"Ah. Well, there's lots of food, so now would be the time to gorge yourself. Also, they've got Chasta Champagne!"

"OOH! They do! Move it peeps! Champagne, here I come!" Shaiya yelled, the sudden pool of guilt she stood in melted into nothingness.

* * *

(Some seriously long time later, about two weeks, maybe. Let's just work with that.) 

It had been about two weeks since Shaiya and Onya left, and dawn was approaching. Far off in the distance, a Fire Nation messenger atop a komodo rhino came thundering through the forest surrounding Shiroh Nagiyan. He rode his rhino up to the doorstep of a small two story house with a porch and pillars covered in flowering vines. It was run-down, but it was pretty. The messenger ran up to the doorstep and knocked. Onya answered. Quickly noticing the soldier, Onya put on her soldier's face.

"Can I help you, soldier?" she asked professionally.

"Fire Lord Ozai sent this for Sehara and Orelana." he answered.

"Thank you, soldier." Onya replied as she tipped him a gold coin. He bowed, jumped onto his rhino and rode away. Onya ripped the letter open, scanned it, and then looked up, looking as if she had just seen a ghost. She knew she had to show this letter to Shaiya. She stuffed the letter into her bra, jumped on her sujio with nothing but a rope around her neck and took off down the street for the dock where Shaiya would be helping unload the latest supply ship.

Upon reaching the dock, Onya spotted her friend, ran up to her and yelled, "Shai! SHAI! We've got a letter from Fire Lord Ozai!" At that, her friend grabbed the letter, sat down on the barrel nearest her and read aloud:

Dear Sehara and Orelana

I have a meager proposition. I have ten prisoners that await the death penalty. They are: Katara and Sokka, siblings of the Southern Water Tribe, my foolish brother Iroh, many numerous rebels, their leader, Jet, and my son, Prince Zuko. All have committed high treason against the Fire Nation. All will be punished by the death penalty. Your bounty, apiece: 100,000 gold pieces for the head of my brother and son, 50,000 per water tribe sibling, and 10,000 per rebel. Accounting I have six rebels, both of you would receive 360,000 gold pieces apiece. I hope you will be able to make it, for I shall be too busy to kill all of them myself. If you do not make it to the Fire Capital by the last quarter, I will send for another assassin pair. Best wishes girls.

Yours truly

Fire Lord Ozai

P.S. The Avatar has been accompanying the water tribe siblings, but when we caught them, the Avatar was not around. I will double your reward if you bring him to me before the deadline I set. He will not be killed, merely locked up in chains in my prison hold until I have complete control over the rest of the world. Good luck ladies.

When Shaiya finished the letter, she exclaimed excitedly, "We're to kill Katara, Sokka, Zuko, Iroh, and six other rebels! We'd get three hundred sixty thousand gold pieces each, IF we complete the task. WE are to kill them!"

"That's not a good thing, Shai. We're to _kill_ them, not have a tea party." her friend countered.

"I know, but at least Fire Lord Ozai asked us to do it and not some other stupid assassins. Besides, I always wanted to kill the Fire lord." Shaiya ended her statement with a smile of evil etched on her glorious features. "How long to the Fire capital by the wings of a sujio?" she asked, her friend finally catching on.

"Four, and we're to be there by the last quarter, a week and a half away. Plenty of time." Both girls began to cackle evilly. Then, they marched off to prepare for the trip they would depart for the very next day.

* * *

The next morning, both girls woke eager to fly for the Fire Nation. Silently and grinning, the girls packed all the stuff they'd need for the next week and a half, since Ozai was somewhat a procrastinator. He preferred to put off, as he called them, humane killings, until the assassins, or whomever he happened to hire, began to get restless, and then he would hold the 'humane killing'. 

After packing all they needed, the girls saddled up their sujios. They bode farewell to the town and took off for the job everyone thought they would be carrying out, except they weren't going to carry out the mentioned killing. They had another in mind.

* * *

(Four days later) 

Zuko sat in his cell alone, trying to remember Shaiya's face. She was all he could think about for the past week. For all he knew, she could be completely oblivious to the fact that he was about to be killed. He just hoped that Sehara and Orelana were going to be doing the killing, because they always made sure it was quick. A quick swipe of their swords right above the shoulders and the prisoners were dead. Zuko just hoped that Ozai wouldn't suggest the painful, slow way. He wasn't looking forward to being fixed and having all his limbs cut off and then beheaded in front of the entire Fire Council. It wouldn't make his father look bad, however, because Zuko's great grandfather had done the same thing to his daughter who had gone off under cover to become a concubine for the king of the earth nation city of Kalinuahal, who was one to go do it with every concubine every night, which probably explained why he slept so much during the day.

He had her chained up to a chair where she was forced to sit still while multiple guys came up and stuffed their 'things' down her throat, then her breasts and limbs were cut off, all while the royal council watched. She was then set in a cell where she bled to death.

Zuko was praying he didn't end up dying in close to the same way she did.

* * *

Aang was sitting on a hilltop just outside the Fire Nation capital, thinking of a way to get in there and save Katara and Sokka. He couldn't think of a thing that might help him. It had been a week and a half since they had been captured. Then he saw it. Two specs in the sky that looked like people on… sujios? No, it couldn't be. As they got closer, Aang immediately recognized them. Shaiya, Onya, Kagouya and Vei. Did they know about Katara, Sokka, Zuko and Iroh's capture? As far as Aang knew, who didn't? He also knew that if he didn't save Katara and Sokka at least, they would be killed. Not just by anyone, either. By the two most famous Fire Nation assassins, Sehara and Orelana. 

Just then, the two assassins passed up the Fire Nation capital and began to head straight for him. _Oh, no. What do they want?_ he thought. The girls landed beside him, smiling.

"Whoa. You two are… but wait, that can't be. You lead double lives!" Aang asked, shocked.

"Yup, we sure do. It wasn't our doing, though." Shaiya started. "Well, you see, it started as an innocent prank. The Fire Lord wanted a very capable assassin to carry out the task of killing one of the less competent generals. Long story short, my father put Onya and me in the place of the one assassin the Fire Lord requested, we carried out the task quite well, and if I hadn't stepped in right when I did, my father could've lost his position. And now, well, we're assassins. The Fire Lord has no idea who we are. All he knows is our skill, our names, what we look like and what port-of-call we live in. And that's all he'll ever find out."

"Anyway," Onya started, "We need you, Aang. You are going to be a very crucial person in our plan to save Katara, Sokka, Zuko and Iroh. The rebels, I could care less about, though they could come in handy. Anyway, here's the plan. What we're gonna do is: Aang, we're gonna need to tie you up and act like you're our prisoner. Do you know our assassin names?"

Aang nodded.

"Okay, good. When we handle you, we're gonna be rough about it, so suck it up, 'kay. We'll take you in and give you to the Fire Lord. We'll request that you are tied up near us to watch us 'kill'" Onya used air quotes to accentuate kill. "your friends. We won't actually kill them, we'll just play along. Then, Shai will go to kill Zuko first, but she'll accidentally slip and lose grip on her sword, causing it to go clean through Ozai's neck. Hopefully he'll suffer. After that, we expect an uproar. I'll rush to unlock everyone while Shai keeps 'em at bay. Then, if they're as bad as we think they're gonna be, we'll need to fly off. And chances are, Zula will inherit the throne. We'll then have to overthrow her. But if the spectators take this as easily as we highly doubt they will, well, then that'll just rock. Got it?"

Aang nodded again. For the most part, everything was explained rather well. Shaiya walked over to Kagouya, grabbed a coil of rope and tied Aang's hands together behind his back. Then she mounted. Onya tossed Aang gently as possible up behind her. Shaiya sat sidesaddle so she could keep a good hold on both Aang and her sujio, just to make it convincing. Onya mounted her sujio and the trio took off for the Fire Nation capital building.

* * *

"Fire Lord Ozai! Fire Lord Ozai! The assassins you hired have arrived, and with the Avatar!" a messenger yelled as he ran into the grand hall where the Fire Lord was sure to be. Ozai looked up with keen interest as the three came in. Katara, Sokka, Zuko, Iroh, and the six rebels were tied up waiting their punishment off to the side. 

"Good evening, ladies. I see you brought me the ultimate gift." Ozai purred.

"Yes, milord. And a wonderful guten abend to you, as well." Shaiya answered.

"I'm pleased you were able to make it, ladies. And you look as beautiful as ever." The girls giggled and blushed.

"Why thank you, milord. We try." Shaiya responded sweetly.

Zuko looked up from his personal black hole of depression he had sunk into. He looked at the assassins and noticed something he hadn't seen before. They look different than they did three years ago. They looked… familiar. He had seen them not long ago. If Orelana had blonde hair, rather than black, she would look just like Onya. And if Sehara had red hair, rather than blonde, she would look just like Shaiya. She had Shaiya's eyes. _Oh, my gosh. My girlfriend is gonna be my executioner._ Zuko thought to himself. Realization dawned on him. That was the other secret she was always talking about! She was an assassin! And not just any assassin, either, but a dang good one at that.

"Well, ladies, shall we get this execution started?" Ozai asked.

* * *

**A/N: **Okay, guys! I know it was really short, but I barely had any time to work on it lately. Same thing with my other story, Star Fire. I haven't even begun the third chapter of that story, so I'm really far behind. Please review! Tanx! And I'm sorry if the font is whack, but I just could'nt get it larger. Or it just might be my chapter editing thing. So yeah.

_Love Much all my peeps,_

_Raaon Teisha a.k.a. Rhinestone Cowgirl a.k.a. the insane smilie face_

_;D_


	17. Assassinations

**A/N:** Hey y'all! I'm so sorry it took me so long to update this, but I had so many things to do. I barely have any time to check my account anymore! And that sucks! Well, enough chit-chat, y'all have waited long enough for this, so here it is, along with some cyber-chocolate chip cookies to enjoy whilst you read!

* * *

Previously on Avatar:

Oh, my gosh. My girlfriend is gonna be my executioner. Zuko thought to himself. Realization dawned on him. That was the other secret she was always talking about! She was an assassin! And not just any assassin, either, but a dang good one at that.

"Well, ladies, shall we get this execution started?" Ozai asked.

Chapter XVII: Assassinations

Shaiya nodded.

"Before we get started, would it be too much to ask if our little _Avatar_ friend can stay and watch us make his friends _suffer_." Shaiya asked, poison dripping from her voice.

"Well, it might teach him a good lesson about meddling in people's business." Ozai said. Shaiya walked over to a nearby pillar, untied Aang's ropes and tied him up to the pillar loosely, leaving Ozai unaware.

Quickly, Shaiya moved back to Onya's side.

"So, Ozai, is there a specific one you want done in first?" she inquired.

"Please, kill my son first. If not for his mistake three years ago, he wouldn't be in this position. But I do not want you to kill him quickly. Make him suffer."

"Oh, I'm good at suffer. Give me a chair and something to tie him up with that's fireproof." The guards at the doors stood still. "Now would be nice ya know!" Shaiya yelled.

The guards jumped to life when she yelled at them. Five minutes of silence, and glances between Shaiya and Zuko, later, the guards returned with a metal chair and fireproof rope.

"Shall I get the prince, ma'am?" one of the guards asked.

"No, I'll get him." Shaiya said and the guard nodded. Gracefully, she walked up to Zuko and untied him. He put up no fight, but just looked at her with a solemn face and fear in his eyes. She winked and drug him behind her. When they turned their backs to Ozai, Shaiya began whispering.

"Okay. Lemme get one thing clear. I'm not gonna kill you. I'd rip my own eyes out with bear claws first." Zuko smirked.

"Anyway, I'm gonna ask 'Daddy' if he wants to say anything. I know Ozai. He will. When he does, and I'm glad he's so predictable, he's gonna walk up to you and say it. Then he'll tell me to kill you. Naturally, I won't. Then, I'll 'pretend' that my sword slips, right into Ozai's neck. Then, Onya will untie you, Aang will break free, and you two will take over the battle. Onya and I will go and untie the rest of our group. Frankly, I don't care either way about the rebels. If we make it that far, I'll explain the rest." Shaiya finished just as they reached the chair set up ten feet from the base of the steps, which were tall.

Shaiya slammed Zuko down into the chair and she held him while Onya tied him up.

"So, Ozai, do you wanna say a little something?" Shaiya asked.

"As a matter of fact, I'd love to." Ozai said as he stood up. He made his way to his son and began his speech.

"So, my son. You failed in your task. I sent you to go find the Avatar. However, I expected him to be dead, so when the Fire Sages reported the news of his existence, I was more shocked than anyone. I expected you to be wandering the world in search for a man, or in this case, boy, that had been dead for a century. But no, you," Ozai turned his attention to Aang, "You had to come back now. Why couldn't you have waited until after I conquered the world!"

"Well, sorry. My bad. Didn't know that I, the _worldwide peacemaker_ was supposed to wait until _after_ a war to come and save the day. Sure sounds stupid to me." Aang retorted in his sassiest voice.

"Shut up, Avatar. At least I know that you will not be able to stop me. I will finally rule the entire world, as will my beloved daughter when she grows of age and I am too old to rule. Anyway, son. You are a disgrace. You shamed me once, and no longer do I have to put up with you and your attitude. I will smile in my sleep tonight knowing that my traitorous son is dead. The boy that shamed me will no longer live. Unless you happen to have no blood in you. That is the only way you won't die through what I'm about to put you through. But just to make sure you will die, let's run a litmus test. Dagger, Zatikaku."

Ozai said as he extended his hand to one of his bodyguards. Zatikaku handed the Fire Lord his trusted dagger. Ozai took it and held it right in front of Zuko's left cheek.

"Now, to see if you can take pain." Ozai lit his hand, causing the holes in the tip of the dagger to shoot fire. Zuko's eyes widened. He had seen his father do this to people before. He would cut out their eyes, then stab them in the heart. He felt tears prickling behind his eyes. He prayed Shaiya would stop Ozai before he killed his son. And that's when it happened.

"Get that dagger away from his eye now." Shaiya growled. Zuko knew it. She wouldn't let his father touch him with a ten-foot pole.

"Excuse me? What did you just say?" Ozai asked.

"You heard me, jack-ass. Get that dagger away from his eye now." she said. Ozai stood up and faced her.

"Do you know who you are talking to? I should have you put to death for that." he remarked.

"Come on, do it. You don't have the guts. Oh, and I should tell you. I lead a double life. Did you ever wonder why Shaiya disappeared every time you hired me to come and kill someone? Did you ever wonder why Shaiya reappeared every time I left? It's because…" she said as she pulled off her blonde wig and let her long red tresses fall. "I'm both Shaiya and Sehara."

Ozai's jaw dropped. So did every other fire noble's jaw. Zuko smirked.

"You're done, daddy." was all he said before Shaiya attacked. Ozai never stood a chance. Even though he was the most powerful firebender in the entire world, since Aang hadn't mastered the discipline yet, he still fell when Shaiya hit him full speed. She threw punch after flaming punch, kick after flaming kick, cartwheel after flaming cartwheel, until Ozai was so tired he could barely stand.

"Had enough?" she asked triumphantly. He merely looked up at her figure standing feet away, ready to deliver the final blow. She didn't know, however, that the Avatar was the only one that can defeat the Fire Lord.

As Shaiya struck, a great light emerged from Ozai, protecting him from her final flaming blow. She was thrown back into a pillar thirty feet away and was almost knocked out. Ozai stood and stalked over to Shaiya's wavering form. Zuko couldn't take it. He was untied, so he ran up to the love of his life and jumped in the way just as Ozai threw a flaming punch at her. Zuko grabbed her without slowing his stride. He jumped behind another pillar and waited for it to crash.

The crash never came.

Onya had run over to Aang and untied him just in time for him to jump on Ozai's back and cover his eyes. Ozai was burning Aang's arms and trying to get Aang off so he could see where his son and the traitor were and kill them both. Finally, Aang lurched off Ozai's back and hit him hard in the stomach with a huge gust of wind. Aang walked over to Onya.

"Sword, please." he said.

"Sure, here ya go." she replied, handing Aang one of her Long Dao broadswords. Aang walked over to Ozai, who was kneeling in pain. He knew his time had come. After fighting the girl for a good while, he was pretty exhausted, as well. When Aang approached him, he looked up.

"Well, have you ever killed anyone, Avatar?" Ozai asked.

"No, but you'll be the first." Aang said, raising the sword above his head. Before Ozai said anything else, Aang dropped the sword right in the middle of Ozai's neck, beheading him. Aang smirked and then headed to his friends to release them. Onya, finally moving from her shocked state, ran over to where Zuko was sitting, cradling Shaiya in his lap.

"I thought I might lose you for a second there." Zuko said

"Yeah, well, hot shot, you didn't, didja?" Shaiya whispered.

"No, no I didn't." Zuko whispered and he kissed her lightly on the forehead.

"And there's all the proof anyone needs to see that you two _love_ each other." Onya said from behind the pillar. Shaiya stared at her friend, then stood up rather easily, tossed her arm around her friend and they both stood and giggled.

"Hey, uh, ladies, now that this little love-fest is _ending_, maybe we should get out of here." Zuko said, standing.

"And why would we do that, huh hot shot?" Onya asked. The entire room had just stood and a thunderous applause had broken out. Zatikaku ran up to the Avatar, now holding a bloody sword and walking proudly to his companions, and grabbed the boy in a bone-crushing hug.

"You did it, Avatar! You did it!" he repeated over and over.

"Um… thank… you." Aang whispered hoarsely.

"Zatikaku, before you hug our friend in half, maybe you should put him down." Zuko said, walking up to the pair. The roar of applause was beginning to die down.

"Well, Onya, that actually turned out okay, quite contrary to what I had thought might happen." Shaiya smiled grandly as she spoke.

Now untied, Sokka ran full speed to Onya.

"My god. I never would've guessed you led a double life." he said, smiling. In a flash, he swung his arms around Onya's hips and pulled her into a kiss. On the other side of the pillar, as Shaiya walked up to her prince, he did the same, almost. He turned to face her, held her hands in his, smiled his grand smile which was the key to capturing her heart, and he swung her around, held her close, and kissed her, one hand on her mid back, the other looped around her shoulders. As they released, he smiled.

"I never thought I'd ever do that, much less in public." he mused.

"Ah, well, you did anyway." Shaiya said in return.

"Oh, and Shaiya, there's one more thing." Zuko knelt. "Now, I know I don't have a ring, but I do know exactly which one to get you. Will you honor me by becoming my wife?"

Shaiya felt as though nothing could go wrong. She was free. She had the love of her life proposing to her and she was finally out of her mother's grasp. Nothing more could she want.

"Oh, Zuko!" she yelled as she flung herself into his arms. "Nothing on Agni's great earth could make me say no!"

* * *

OOH! How's the wedding gonna go?Will Meiya and Zhao crash it?What will happen between Aang and Katara?Or Sokka and Onya?And will Aang get his burns healed? Just wait until my next chapter:

Chapter XVIII:A Royal Proposal Has Been Made

Now, understand, I took that from a movie.Cyber-cookies to anyone who can guess who it's from! Oh, and the quiz, it's still waiting for more people to answer to it!


	18. A Royal Proposal Has Been Made

**A/N:** I am so sorry it took me so long to update, but life got in the way and the system crashed yesterday when I tried to bring this up, so yeah. (smashes computer) Damn, I hate you, my computer! Well, enough of that, READ!

* * *

Chapter XVIII: A Royal Proposal Has Been Made

Two weeks had passed since the day the Avatar had killed the Fire Lord. Zuko would be inducted as the new Fire Lord and he would take Shaiya's hand in marriage the same day. Sokka was still putting off asking Onya's hand in marriage, and Katara and Aang had finally realized they had feelings for each other.

It was the day of Zuko and Shaiya's wedding, as well as Zuko's induction, and all was going well. Shaiya was out in the royal gardens riding her sujio and talking to herself.

"Well, Kagouya, today's the day. Zuko becomes the new Fire Lord at noon, and I get married to the Fire Lord at sunset. Nothing could ruin this day. I wonder how big the reception hall is. I hope it's not as big as Shiroh Nagiyan. If I had to walk down an aisle that long, I'd pass out."

"Well, honey, be glad you won't have to." Zuko said, emerging from the enormous Fire Palace.

"Hello hot shot." Shaiya said, turning to look at her fiancé. Zuko walked up to her, jumped up behind her, took her in his arms and pulled her to his chest.

"You look wonderful, love. Of course, you'll look even better in your wedding gown." Zuko whispered in her ear. Shaiya giggled. Zuko pressed his lips to hers as he worked her hair from its bun.

"So, just how long is the reception hall?"

"Oh, pretty long. But don't worry, you'll be riding one of the more magnificent beasts of the Fire Nation. A Clydesdale."

"But I thought that Clydesdales were extinct." Shaiya said, surprised.

"They are, everywhere else in the world, but the Fire Palace has specific breeding rights to the last of the breed as ceremonial creatures. And when I end this war, I intend on using five. One for the Avatar, one for me, one for King Bumi of the Earth kingdom city of Omashu, one for the king of the Northern Water tribe, and… no, I'll only need four since the Avatar is the last of the Air Nomads. Oh, man, when am I gonna arrange the ceremony? I have so much work I have to do, repair buildings, relationships, alliances! How on earth am I gonna do all that!" Shaiya swung around to face Zuko as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"Zuko, honey, you just need to chill, okay? Everything will be fine. And I'm here to help you. I love you, Zuko, and I'll always be here to help you. I promise." she said as she pulled him into a hug.

"Thank you, Shaiya. I owe you so much."

"Just don't chicken out at our wedding. That'll be good enough for me."

"That might be good enough for you, but not for me. C'mon, we need to go get ready, my induction is to start in two hours. And I can't miss that."

"No, you can't."

"Before we go, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, what?"

"Do I have time for one last thing?"

"It depends on what that --" Shaiya was cut off as Zuko captured her lips in his in their last kiss before they were wed.

* * *

The induction ceremony was about to begin and Zuko was pacing in his room. He wasn't allowed to see his fiancé, his uncle, or anyone but the ceremony guards. _Well, this is one major drawback in the ceremonial system. I need to fix that._ Zuko thought to himself. There was a knock at his door. 

"Enter." he called. Two guards clad in full Fire Nation armor came in. One began to speak.

"Sire, the ceremony is to begin, and we are here to escort you to the grounds."

"I don't need an escort. I'll be fine by myself."

"But sire, what if someone should try to assassinate you?"

"Well, they'll just have to put up onedamn good fight to beat me."

"Yes, sire." the guard answered. The guards sent to escort Zuko to the ceremony followed behind as Zuko made his way down the maze-like halls of the Fire Palace. He stopped just behind two enormous double doors with ornate handles depicting a man and woman bending fire. Zuko could hear the voice of his inductee beyond the doors.

"Welcome, brethren of the Fire Nation. We are gathered here this afternoon to celebrate our next Fire Lord, the former prince of the Fire Nation, Zuko!" Upon hearing his name, Zuko pushed open the double doors and made his way down in front of his inductee.

"We welcome Zuko, son of the once great Ozai, to rule our great nation. May he rule us well. All hail the great Fire Lord Zuko!" the announcer yelled as he placed the crown of the Fire Nation on Zuko's head. The entire crowd knelt.

"Please, rule us out of this war." the announcer whispered to Zuko.

"I plan on it." he returned. _And now to go get ready for my wedding. Whoopee. Another ceremony. Well, at least I won't be walking._ He thought as the entire crowd stood.

"Lord Zuko, do you pledge to rule without dictating?"

"Yes."

"Do you pledge to hear out the words of your future wife?"

"Yes."

"Do you pledge to use your power for the common good?"

"Yes."

"And finally, do you pledge to bring another heir to the throne?"

"Yes."

"You are dismissed to rule the Fire Nation. Be at peace."

"Thank you." Zuko said, bowing slightly.

He made his way back to his room, which was more like the lobby of a huge hotel, to change into his armor for the wedding. Little did he know, someone was waiting.

As Zuko pushed open the door to his room, he heard a vaguely familiar voice.

"So, now that you've stolen my daughter from me, you are going to steal my country, too?"

"Meiya." Zuko whispered.

"Yes, son-in-law, it's me. Did you miss me, dear?" she asked.

"No, not one bit. Matter of fact, the last two weeks have been quite enjoyable without _your_ company."

"Now, now, sweetie, is that really the way to talk to your new mommy?"

"You'll never be my mother."

"And you'll never be my son." Meiya said as she threw a dagger at Zuko from a hidden corner. Still standing in the doorway of his room, Zuko lunged forward and out of the way of the dagger.

"Ooh, nice try, but you'll have to do better than that to beat us." Zhao sneered from atop Zuko's bed.

"Where'd you come from?" Zuko ordered.

"Why do you want to know? Oh, that's right, haven't you heard? Meiya is my wife, thus making me your father-in-law. Wonderful, for me." Zhao said, stepping off the bed. While Zuko and Zhao were talking, Meiya snuck behind Zuko and shut and locked the door.

"I know you're behind me, Meiya." Zuko growled.

"Yes, I wasn't quiet enough, I suppose. Oh well, these walls will make this room quiet enough." Meiya said, spinning on Zuko and tripping him from behind. He fell forward, only to land at Zhao's feet. Zhao slammed his foot into Zuko's head, thrusting his nose to the floor, breaking it. Zuko let out a cry of pain, only to have Zhao grab him by the back of his shirt and throw him hard into a bedpost. Zuko fell into a heap at the foot of his bed. _Maybe bluffing will work_ Zuko thought, closing his eyes, steadying his breathing and holding as still as possible. Little did he know, he had a gash on the right side of his head that was bleeding somewhat heavily.

Zhao walked up to him and picked him up by his right arm, smirking.

"I would've thought that he would've needed more pummeling before being knocked out. Oh well, I guess a week in his father's custody and two weeks with my sap daughter has turned him soft. And weak." Meiya sneered. Zhao drug Zuko into the far corner and chained him up in the shadows under one of his ornate dressers.

"It'll take a miracle for someone to find him before he dies. And when he does, my new daughter will have no choice but to marry Nalif."

"Yes, Zhao. Have I told you I love you?" Meiya asked sweetly. Zhao shook his head as he tossed his wife onto Zuko's bed. He slunk on after her and kissed her swiftly.

"You told me 20 minutes ago. Now, we should get out of here before the guards come to summon the kid for his wedding." Zhao said, his lips still pressed to Meiya's.

They released, headed to and jumped out of the window, landing besides two ostrich horses, jumped on their mounts and rode off.

* * *

Zuko could feel the heavy metal chains clasped around his wrist. He was beginning to black out from the pain and blood loss from the gash on his head. 

_Oh, my head._ he though. He licked his lips, tasting the fresh blood coating one side. He tried to stand up, only to find that he was chained tight to the wall. Even if he wanted to stand, he couldn't. He felt compelled to pray.

_Dear Agni,_

_I beg you to spare my life. Please, I've endured so much. Don't I get a chance to live a happy life? Though, if you cannot spare me, at least keep my love, Shaiya, safe from harm. Let her find peace in all she does. Protect her. Keep her in your heart. Save her from ever having to endure the pain I have. Let her live a peaceful, adventurous life alongside her friends and sujio. And above all, never let her forget me._

And as he finished his prayer, he faded into unconsciousness.

* * *

Okay, folks, I am going to combine the next two chapters into one, simply because I feel that this chapter is not long enough. So, you won't have to wait forever to find out if Zuko lives or not. Although, he is my absolute fave character, and I'd never in my life wish him dead (just his daddy), so he won't die. I now, I know, spoiler, but you'd find out eventually.

* * *

Shaiya was standing in the stable aisle way untacking Kagouya when she heard what she thought was an ostrich horse whinny. 

_Okay, I know that's an ostrich horse, but only one person I know would have an ostrich horse, and he's just across the aisle, so it's not Suki._

Shaiya headed out to the barn doorway to check. She looked in the direction of Zuko's room to see two standing just at the base of the great castle. _What the fuck?_ She watched a moment longer to see two people jump from what appeared to be Zuko's room, land beside the ostrich horses, jumped on and took off. One had brown hair, facial hair making him appear to look like a monkey, and Fire Nation armor while the other had reddened brunette hair, no facial hair, and a Fire Nation commoner's outfit on.

_Oh. My. Fuck. MOM! ZHAO!_ Shaiya's mind was racing. What were they doing here? Why did they jump from Zuko's window? And how did they get in the palace to begin with? Shaiya couldn't take it. She threw a rope around Kagouya's neck, lurched on and took off after her mother and, as much as she hated saying it, stepfather. Little did she know, her fiancé was slowly bleeding to death behind a cabinet.

Shaiya silently chased her family through the flower-clad gardens of the Fire nation. She attempted to keep up, but she had never raced an ostrich horse on foot before, so she decided to take to the skies, a place she knew she was undefeated. At the moment of takeoff, her mom and stepfather heard and looked back to see none other than a red-clad figure atop a threatening looking sujio. Shaiya quickly drew her lariat from her waistband, untied it, and readied it. Swinging it twice above her head, she threw at the ostrich horses' feet, catching all four in one loop and knocking their riders to the dirt.

"Shaiya! Bloody heck, what was that for?" Meiya yelled to her daughter.

"What were you doing in my fiancé's room?" she growled menacingly.

"It's none of your business, girl." Zhao sneered.

"Oh, _dad_, but it is. You see, he is the FIRE LORD, and anyone who even jokes about making an attempt at his life is taken in for questioning, fired from their present job, sent to prison for two months and fed once a day. Just think of the punishment for actually making a physical attempt at his life, like the blood smears on your shirt suggest."

"Those are from chickens." Zhao lied.

"You're a bad liar. Very bad." Shaiya said as she dashed out at her stepfather with a rage no one could match. She knew they had attempted to kill Zuko, and she wanted them caught and back at the palace in time to save her fiancé.

* * *

The fight went quickly, especially when four palace guards came to Shaiya's aid. Zhao and Meiya were bound, gagged and thrown in jail until further notice while Shaiya raced to Zuko's room. She wove through corridor after corridor, thanking Agni that Zuko had forced her to memorize the way to his room. 

She and Kagouya flew past guards as fast as she could, sweat dripping from her brow. Finally, she reached his door. Locked. **_DANGET!_** She thought. She kicked the door by its hinges and the door shuddered. She kicked it again and it fell to the ground with a loud thud. She whipped inside and found a thick, smeared trail of blood leading to the shadows behind one cabinet. She ran to the cabinet and found a thick, coagulated pool of blood around him. An equally coagulated stream of blood led from a large gash on the right side of his head down his face, along his chest, down the outside of his right leg and to the ground.

Panicking, Shaiya tried to melt his chains. **_DAMNIT! FIREPROOF! _**she cursed her so-called parents. She threw all her strength into pulling those chains from the wall. She didn't have much luck. Those chains were in there to stay. She kept pulling for a good ten minutes when the chains finally gave way, pulling wall out with them. Shaiya grabbed Zuko, threw him onto Kagouya and flew like a bat out ofhell to the hospital wing on the other side of the palace.

* * *

Shaiya, passed out from exhaustion, lay on a hospital bed ten feet from her dying fiancé. Little did she know, she too was dying. Meiya had coated the chains with venom from the ferret snake, the most poisonous snake in the world, a venom so powerful, if ingested, it would eat a person from the inside out. If touched, it would eat clean through the skin, through the muscle and to the bone. Not only did it do that, but when it was taken into the bloodstream, it followed the red blood cells back to the heart where it departed to eat away the heart itself. If untreated within twenty-four hours of contamination, the poison could kill a person in less than twelve.

* * *

The news spread fast in the palace, and the second he heard of it, Iroh ran faster than the lightning he controlled to the hospital wing, which he soon found out was contained to strictly inside that one room. 

_Zuko and Shaiya's lives hang on the line and I'm out here doing nothing!_ Iroh thought helplessly.

Having become friends with the banished prince, Aang, Katara and Sokka, along with Onya and Iroh, were all sitting out in the hallway waiting for any kind of news.

Soon, a surgeon dressed in all white came out of the room. Her face was grim and her voice deep and cracking, having been up all night with a palace guard.

"Sirs, madames, I am afraid I have some good news… and some bad news. The good news is, they will both survive this dreadful incident. Shaiya made it to the Fire Lord right on time. Should she have been any later, he would have died." The mood in the hallway lightened at the news that their comrades would survive the assassination attempt.

"But, the bad news is the future Fire Lady will not be able to bear a child for a good forty years, or more. If she even lives that long." All let out a gasp.

"I am sure that you all are tired, so know that your friends will live, and probably be awake midday tomorrow. Now, go get some rest. Doctor's orders." she finished with a faint, forced smile. She left to tend to her patients.

The group in the hall decided to head to bed, besides, the doc told them to. Onya, weeping for the near loss of her best friend, ran to her room, crying tears of both joy and sadness, for even though her greatest friend would live, they would never raise their children together, her greatest dream,and there would be no heir to the throne. All because of Meiya and Zhao. As Onya reached her room, she crashed through the door and flopped onto her bed, sobbing. She soon cried herself to sleep.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Iroh ambled to his room, deep in concentration.

Why would Zhao do that?

What were they thinking, attempting the life of the Fire Lord?

How the hell did they get in the palace anyway?

What can I do to destroy them?

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Back in the hospital wing, Shaiya began to stir. She mumbled incoherently for a near 10 minutes until she began to repeat one thing:

Kill Mom and Dad

* * *

OOH! What's Shaiya planning on doing? Will Onya come to terms with her greatest dream's destruction? Will Iroh get to Meiya and Zhao before Shaiya? Will Shaiya ever have children? 

REVIEW OR FACE MY WRATH!

Luv frum Raaon Teisha, ur loyal fanfic writer.

I write, and the least you greedy readers can do is give me a few words of encouragement!


	19. Awakenings

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar, nor will I ever own it because it belongs to two guys who I hughly doubt would relinquish it to me, and anyway, it would end up way too gory for most people, as this chapter will explain.

**A/N:**Well, I am going to up up this chapter now, even though it is really short. It will explain exactly where the next 15 or so chapters of the story will be headed. And I now am requiring at least 3 reviews before I update again. Please enjoy, and I warn you now, there is a small bit of bloody, gory-ness in the end of this chappie. ENJOY!

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Chapter XIX: Awakenings

Daybreak came and went, and still, neither patient had awoken. Midday was coming slowly, for that day was the longest day of the year. Shaiya had begun to stir early the previous night, but she had not woken, unlike her fiancé who was finally wide awake and waiting, praying she would wake.

Iroh, up earliest that morning, slowly ambled to breakfast. He stayed up late the previous night busy in his own world, thinking, contemplating, deep in concentration. He still had yet to come up with a way to dispose of Meiya and Zhao for the agony they had inflicted upon not only the two they injured, but also those surrounding them. The whole palace stood with baited breath while the future of their kingdom lay in the hospital wing, their lives hanging by a thread.

Zuko laid on his bed, the pain of unknowing agonizing. Shaiya mumbled again, but did not wake. All of a sudden, as if a bomb had just exploded in the middle of the night, Shaiya shot up in bed, out of breath, eyes wide with terror. She gasped, clutched at the sides of her bed, and then lay back down again, closing her eyes and trying to steady her breathing.

The moment she awoke, Zuko ran to her, though he was not supposed to be out of bed for another day at least. He slid to a stop at her side. He took her hand in his own and stroked the back of it, all the while whispering comforting words to her.

"Zuko?" Shaiya asked weakly, her eyes barely open.

"Shh, sweetheart, it's me. Don't worry, I'm right here, I won't leave you." he whispered in response. He moved his hand up to her cheek and stroked it lovingly.

"Zuko… please… lay down with… with me." she whispered, her voice shaky.

Zuko stretched down beside her and pulled her close, all the while stroking her cheek. He cared so deeply for her.

"Thank you, Zuko." she offered.

"Shh, don't speak." he whispered again.

It was then that the nurse walked in to check on them. She looked to Zuko's bed and, seeing it empty, shot her gaze over to the future Fire Lady's. There was Zuko, whispering to her, her eyes cracked, letting only the smallest amount of light in, her lips parted, trying to speak, Zuko's thumb stroking her cheek.

"Oh, she's awake. I'll be back in just a second with the doctor." she said. Zuko nodded and the nurse left hurriedly.

"Zuko, I-" Shaiya started, only to be stopped by Zuko's finger.

"Shh, no need to talk, sweetheart." Shaiya shook her head. She knew something he did not, for that time in unconsciousness her spirit spent in the spirit world, speaking with Avatar Roku. What she had learned, she knew she needed to relay to the heads of the nations, for they would need to form an alliance to fight the evil coming.

She tried again to speak, but Zuko shushed her again. She decided to give up, for the time being. She would speak, for she was not the kind to be silenced by a man, no matter how important or close to her he was.

She decided to replay the meeting in her head. She started remembering, completely ignoring the fight that Zuko and the doctor got into, the tests that were run on her, and her friends' hugs.

_Shaiya, do you know who I am, and more importantly, do you know where you are?_

_Yes, I'm in the Spirit world, and you're Avatar Roku. Why am I here?_

_Shaiya, I have called you here because I need to relay a message to the people of Earth. My dear, a great evil is rising, one that has not risen for many thousands of years. The dead will rise, both animal and human, demons will appear, cities will be destroyed in a matter of seconds, and millions of lives will be lost during battle, possibly even yours. Does death scare you, child?_

_No, I am not afraid of death. It will come sooner or later._

_That is a good thing to keep in mind. I need you to talk to Iroh and Zuko, King Bumi of Omashu, King O'rion of Bah Sing Sei, and the king of the Northern water tribe. You will need strong alliances, and some of the most important people you will need are the Avatar, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, your future husband Zuko, Haru of the Earth Kingdom, King Bumi of the Earth Kingdom, and your best friends, the Black Chaos Dragons, am I right?_

_Yes, but why all those people?_

_You will see. Now. Follow me and I will show you what will happen if you should fail._

_Shaiya mounted Avatar Roku's dragon and they set off into a whirl of color, mostly black, grey and multiple shades of red. They flew above a horrid scene. The Fire Palace was nothing but a pile of rubble, and it's people were in nothing but simple cloth rags working, building, and dying. The demons constantly scoured the workers, looking for strays. Shaiya was near tears when Avatar Roku spoke again._

_Do you want to see what will happen to you and the rest of your friends should you fail?_

_Shaiya nodded, so Roku's dragon flew over a nearby forest, quickly being torn down, and into another building Shaiya soon recognized as a temple to Agni, the god of fire. They flew in and Shaiya nearly died of shock. There she hung, chained to a wall naked alongside her friends and family, the Avatar, everyone Avatar Roku had named off as necessary alliances, all but Zuko. His body was being carried to the center where it was thrown into a raging fire. She could see herself crying hanging on the wall, she heard herself screaming, cursing the demons for what they had done. Seconds later, another demon came up to her with a six inch dagger which he promptly shoved through her left lung. Blood spewed from her wound, filling her lungs. The demon raised the dagger once again and rammedit between her eyes, ending her life. He pulled her off, drug her body to the fire and threw it in. It was then that Roku's dragon took off, retracing their way back through the portal. The dragon landed and Roku and Shaiya climbed off._

_Do you see now how important it is for you to win this war?_

_Shaiya nodded, crying silently._

_Good. Tell everyone you can and have them tell all. This war will determine whether or not the human race will survive. And do not rely on only yourself for information, for tonight I will contact the Avatar. Tell him. Make sure he is prepared to see what I have shown you. Now go, my child._

_And with that, Shaiya's spirit flew back to her body._

Shaiya twitched as another needle was drawn from her skin.

"Is that the last one?" she asked, her voice beginning to get stronger.

"I am sorry, Lady Shaiya, but I have one more dose of blood I need to extract." the doctor answered. Shaiya sighed and contented herself with looking around at who all was there. Iroh, Zuko, of course, Onya, Sokka, Katara, and Aang. Shaiya's eyes lit up as she looked at the Avatar, seated right beside Zuko.

"Aang, I need to talk to you. It's very important."

* * *

Well, whaddaya think? Good? Creepy? Erotic...? Gonna make for a kick butt story? And remember, I will only update again after three reviews of this chapter itelf. **_3 REVIEWS!_**

good day


	20. Update on my father and more

Hello! 

I just wanted to update you all on my father's condition. He's doing great, and he should be out of the hospital soon... I hope.

Also, I want to know whether or not you guys want the following, if you read my Harry Potter story:

1. Hogwarts to host the Triwizard Tournament.

2. Ensemerra to bribe McGonagall to host a talent competition between the houses.

3. Draco to turn a cold shoulder to Pansy (this will happen eventually, just tell me when).

4. Me to post the next chapter this Saturday.

Danken du!

(that's german for thank you!)

_**Raaon Teisha :)**_


	21. The Beginning of a New Battle

**A/N: **OH MY FUCKING GOD! Guys, I am so sorry this took so long, but I just started High School (it's a bitch) and I wanted to update like y'all wouldn't believe. Well, y'all have waited long enough for this, so here it is! Also, there's a bit of German in here, down in the last section, so for those of you who read this and know German (if there are any of you) then please tell me whether or not I'm getting this right!

Warnings: supernatural, cussing (when is there not cussing?)

* * *

Chapter XX: The Beginning of A New Battle

**Recap:**

_Shaiya has returned from the Spirit World where she saw the future with Avatar Roku. He showed her what would become of them all if the upcoming war was lost. The sight shocked Shaiya to no end, and she returned to the real world to her family and friends, and some doctors surrounding her. She has just told Aang she needed to speak with him. We begin twenty minutes later, after she has finished telling the story. Aang, and everyone else, heard Shaiya's terrifying account for what happened._

Shaiya had just finished retelling the story she had seen. Aang's look of horror told her that he understood the circumstances.

_Thank Agni he understands. Roku would've had a really hard time explaining to him without help._

"Aang? Are you okay?" Katara asked, unsure as to whether or not her comrade actually was okay.

Aang simply nodded. It wasn't much of a nod, but it was audible enough that all knew he understood.

"I assume that Avatar Roku will show you some more than he showed me, seeing as he is one of your past lives. Try to hold it together, okay buddy?" Shaiya said.

"Yeah, I'll try. But for now, I'm hungry. "

"Yeah, me, too. Hey, Doc! Can I get outta bed any time soon?" Shaiya yelled across the hospital wing.

"Just long enough for lunch! You have two hours!" the doctor yelled from the other end, where she was examining some of Shaiya's results.

"Gah! Finally! I can get out of this hell trap!" Shaiya commented.

* * *

Shaiya sat at her place at the dining table, next to her fiancé and across from her best friend. She could smell soup, garlic breadsticks, and all sorts of mouth-watering delicacies the chefs were preparing. Her mouth began to water at the thought of real food. It dawned on her that she hadn't eaten for almost a day.

"Shaiya? Are you okay?" Onya asked from across the table.

"Fairly. I just realized I haven't eaten in almost a day. Shocker there, eh? 'Specially for someone who usually eats four times a day."

"Yeah, must be really hard." Onya commented.

"Shaiya!" four voices yelled from the doorway. All turned to look at them. They were dressed in black, skin-tight uniforms, leather belts at their hips. Attached to their belts hung huge black sheaths etched with silver dragons. The handles of the swords were dragons, too, but the dragons weren't spread like they were on the sheaths, they were condensed, and the wings folded to form a cup to protect their fingers when fighting.

They had black combat-style boots on, masks that came down from the bridge of their noses and scooped upward in a dragon's tail. The masks stretched across the eyes in dragon's wings, leaving loop holes to see through, and they too were black with etched silver designs.

Finally, they all wore black gloves cut exactly like Sokka's blue ones, and adorned on each forefinger were dragon rings that took up from the knuckle to the first joint in the finger. The dragons curved around the girls' fingers, their claws acting the part of the band. Each dragon had different colored stones for eyes: baby blue, neon orange, lime green, and deep red. All in all, the girls looked as though they were rich warriors.

"AH! Guys! Gah! What're you doing here!?" Shaiya and Onya exclaimed.

"Gee, news of the engagement, and Shaiya being poisoned by Monkey Face and her mother, reached us about a week ago, and we all packed up and came down. Shiroh Nagiyan's gonna have to wait for their BCD's to return for a long time." the brunette on the right-hand side said. Shaiya and Onya jumped out of their chairs and ran to their friends. They skidded to a halt right in front of them.

The four black-clad Dragons bowed in front of their leaders and future Fire Nation Lady. Shaiya and Onya did the same. All at once, the reverence broke and the girls were hug-choking and being hug-choked. The hug fest took all of five minutes to finish up.

"C'mon, guys, there's always room for my best friends at my table." Shaiya exclaimed.

"When is there not?" the other five asked, then proceeded to giggle the entire way back to the half empty table.

Lunch passed quickly, or so it seemed, and soon Shaiya was whisked away back to the drawl hospital wing. She was pleased to hear that Zuko was also bedridden as long as she was. Needless to say, the two laid in the same bed.

Two weeks passed, and finally the teens were deemed healthy enough that they could live like normal people again.

One night, the group sat at the dining table eating dinner, and the topic of the re-upcoming wedding began.

"Okay, so, I've been Fire Lord for two weeks, and I still haven't been married, nor have I actually attended to any business. There's the whole war against the undead coming up, I don't know all the details, we have to gather a Royal Fire Council to be at my disposal whenever I need them, I need to appoint a new admiral to take Zhao's place, and the list just goes on and on." Zuko said miserably over his teriyaki chicken.

"Sweetie, we just got out of the hospital wing this morning. How's about you introduce me to a few important people first, huh? Then, I can help you with all this. How's about it?" Shaiya asked, concerned.

Zuko sighed.

"Fine. I'll call together my father's Royal Fire Council and introduce you to some of the people there. At least, the four I want to keep."

"And who would they be Prince- uh, Lord Zuko?" Iroh asked, still unaccustomed to his nephew's new title.

"General Shi, Admiral Sao, Lord Yave of the Li Suan Peninsula, and Senisu. Everybody else, I'm getting rid of."

"Why Senisu? She is only a scribe. What good could she possibly be for?"

"Senisu knows everything that has ever happened in the Palace, Council meetings, and her brother is General Susaky. Everything he's ever done for the Fire Nation has been successful. Senisu is a very useful person when a message needs to be carried. Uncle, do you remember when I was ten? There was a band of Earth bender rebels who decided to try and overthrow him. Remember who brought him the information? Senisu. She may be almost forty, but she is an excellent spy and is in great shape."

"Yes, nephew, I forgot about her spy career. Beg pardon."

"Uncle, you're my family. No need to ask pardon. And I'm going to change that rule."

"Okay boys, enough war talk. The dessert is coming, and I don't want images of bloodbaths in my mind while I enjoy it." Katara stated as the chefs came out with trays full of cakes, cookies, puddings, and all sorts of other delicacies. All the BCDs agreed with her, and when the desserts were laid out, the girls dug in.

* * *

A small, gray flying squirrel zoomed passed the window as fast as his little wings could carry him. Had anyone seen him, they would think he had a lady he was running home to.

* * *

Night had fallen, and the moon was at her peak. Deep in the hills of the southern tip of the Earth Kingdom, a small, gray flying squirrel flew into a cave that dug hundreds of miles down. He swerved and swooped down, down, until he came to a huge sarcophagus lying on an island in the middle of a pool of spurting, white-hot magma.

He folded his wings into his body and landed smoothly on the lid. A gong sat at the sarcophagus's foot, accompanied by a stick with a cloth tip. The squirrel picked up the stick with his little claws and slammed it into the gong once, twice, three times.

Three bubbles appeared in the magma, revealing a Siamese cat, a black, yellow, and red serpent, and a grulla sujio. Four symbols appeared around the sarcophagus, one to represent each animal. All four took their places atop their symbols, and they began to chant.

_Rise Again  
Fight the Mortals  
Conquer All Souls  
Kill All Souls_

_Aufsteigen Wieder_

_Käpten das Menschs_

_Besiegen Allerseelen_

_Töten Allerseelen_

All of a sudden, the ground began to shake, magma began to pool, then shoot up in pillars in four places, forming a square. The island cracked into five pieces, the animals' pieces floated away while the sarcophagus stayed. A great light shone from a symbol on the sarcophagus, and then all stopped. The magma fell back down into it's pool, the earth stopped shaking, and the pieces of island stopped where the magma pillars stood.

A huge roar thundered throughout the cavern. The sarcophagus lid shattered into millions of pieces. The beast hidden within the sarcophagus rose on a rock pillar. As the light died, the creature was easily made out.

It had a dragon's body, with huge, spiked wings coming off its back, spikes all down its tail, and a crown of small horns coming off its head.

"Ah, my servants. You are early. That pleases me. Is the earth ready to be conquered? Are they ready to die?" it asked.

"Yes, master." the four answered in unison.

"Tell me, what is the identity of the most powerful of their kind?"

The squirrel answered.

"He has a very distinctive mark on his body. A fluorescent blue arrow. The humans call him the Avatar. His name is Aang. He is in his twelfth year. He is able to control air, water, fire and earth. He has strong allies: a young man with a scar, an old man, and six women who control fire, a young girl who controls water, and a young man who controls nothing, but is a strong warrior with a boomerang and sword. They will not be as easy as your last conquering last millennia."

"No matter," the creature drawled, "we will still defeat them. Now, do me a favor and bring me something to eat, Senzu."

The sujio took to the air to fetch a likely sacrifice. She returned moments later with three dead charred humans on her back.

"Mistress, this is what the new enemies look like. They are disgusting pigs. I saw these three control the earth. They threw rocks at me, they made rock walls appear when I tried to attack, and they just wouldn't give up without a fight. Pathetic fools they were. They were easy targets, but they are fat, and you deserve a filling meal.

"Thank you, Senzu. Now leave me in peace while I eat." she commanded. The four creatures moved to their little islands, sat, and became marble statues, patiently waiting for their mistress to call for their aid.

* * *

So, what did y'all think? Good? Bad? Beyond Bad? Tell me, and I am so very sorry it took so long!

Did I get any of my German right? I used a dictionary for it, BTW.

Luv all y'all!

Raaon Teisha


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